Cat owners are more likely to have a degree than dog owners, according to new research by the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science at Bristol University, UK.
Some headline writers have translated this as “Cat owners more intelligent than dog owners”.
As a goldfish owner myself, I will not take sides. But widely reported in the British press, the research has attracted a high volume of comments from the public.
These comments can be essentially summarised by the following:
Why have they done this pointless research?
Answer: The aim of the research was to find out about pet ownership in order for e.g. animal rescue organisations to plan effectively.
Why have we as tax payers paid for it?
Answer: we haven’t! The researcher is funded by the charity Cats Protection. Interestingly this fact was not mentioned in the press or on the charity’s website.
Why is having a degree relevant? It does not mean greater intelligence?
Answer: The researchers did not mention intelligence. The research was aiming to understand what sort of people own dogs and cats in the UK.
So although this headline attracts attention, the comments show many people have misunderstood the aims and conclusions of the study, and the article has not done much to enhance the reputation of researchers. Clearly a lot of people must support the charity Cats Protection if they can afford to fund research. Perhaps this aspect may have won more sympathy. I wonder why it was not mentioned…?
Link to the University of Bristol
http://www.vetschool.bris.ac.uk/
Links to the media coverage:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article7017260.ece
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=7481&start=270&edition=2&ttl=20100216134718
