The map above is that of Europe. Each country in the map is highlighted relative to its cat ownership, indicated by the percentage of households owning at least one cat.
As indicated on the map, Russia (in black) is the most cat-friendly nation in all of Europe, with 50 to 54 percent of homes keeping a cat with them.
There are also plenty of cat owners in Romania (burgundy). In fact, the country has the second highest cat ownership in Europe, with 45 to 49 percent of families housing the furry kind.
Its neighboring country of Moldova (red) is also cat-friendly, with 40 to 44 percent of its populace taking care of at least one of them.
Two countries have a 35 to 39 percent cat ownership (orange):
- Latvia
- Ukraine
In these eight countries, 30 to 34 percent of households have cats as part of their family (light orange):
- Portugal
- France
- Norway
- Poland
- Lithuania
- Austria
- Slovenia
- Hungary
Meanwhile, four countries say that 24 to 29 percent of their people own cats (yellow-orange):
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- Croatia
- Denmark
Six nations report that 20 to 24 percent of people welcomed cats in their family home (yellow):
- United Kingdom
- The Netherlands
- Germany
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- Bulgaria
Only 16 to 20 percent of people house cats in these four countries (light yellow):
- Ireland
- Italy
- Sweden
- Estonia
Finally, two countries record the lowest cat ownership statistic, with only 10 to 15 percent of households owning cats (white):
- Spain
- Greece
Reddit user u/BernardoDeGalvez believes less people own cats in southern European countries such as Greece and Spain because these nations “have more dogs” as they “can go for walks with dogs nearly everyday”, in addition to the climate in these countries that makes dog walking more doable.
As for Spain, there is a discussion about cat ownership and those living in apartments. Apparently, there is a common property law for the Spanish, where its residents can choose to own a cat, or any pet animal, for that matter. However, “they simply prefer dogs,” says Reddit user u/Aggravating-Piano706.
If you love these furry friends to be your company, check out these amazing reads:
- Cats of Europe
- The French Cat
- The Well-Read Cat
- The Missing Lynx: The Past and Future of Britain’s Lost Mammals
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