The dog is the most popular pet worldwide, according to a study carried out by market research company GfK in 22 countries. Over 27 000 Internet users took part in the study. Dogs are popular especially in Argentina, where around 66 per cent of Internet users are dog owners, followed by Mexico (64 per cent) and Brazil (58 per cent).
Cats are extremely popular in Russia in particular (57 per cent), and the proportion of cat owners in France is very high at 41 per cent, followed by the USA (39 per cent). In Germany, where 29 per cent of those questioned own a cat, felines pip dogs to the post in the popularity stakes.
In an international comparison, the Chinese are especially fond of keeping fish as pets (17 per cent). Fish are also popular in Turkey (16 per cent) and Belgium (15 per cent). The number of respondents who keep birds as pets is highest in Turkey.
