More Pet Owners Would Save Their Dogs from a Fire Than Cats

Vanity Fair

It must be the fur balls. (Or maybe the cooler-than-thou attitude? Nah, probably the fur balls.) In any event, no cats reading this month's poll will be pleased by the results.

While most pet owners would brave a house aflame to save their pet, notably more dog owners say so than cat owners. Among cat owners, not even a third say they always trust their pet's instincts about people. And nearly a quarter of Americans, asked how many cats is too many cats, answered, "One." Brutal.

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A faint glimmer of dignity for felines was detectable when Americans were asked which pets would make them "think twice" about their owners. Only 4 percent of us said cats, although that nice, low figure loses some of its impact when you look at what polled higher: snakes, rats, spiders, chinchillas.

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Finally, an overwhelming number of Americans say they wouldn't mind a bit if their pets started to talk. Although that question wasn't broken down into categories, one might conclude that cat owners would feel a little less sanguine if Kitty suddenly went all Mr. Ed on them. Because, while you might think that cats would sound like Gore Vidal-based on this poll, anyway-we'd probably get an earful of Rodney Dangerfield. Or a fur ball.

To see the rest of this month's pet-based poll, visit VanityFair.com.

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