Survey of cat and dog ownership in Champaign County, Illinois, 1976

Age, sex, breeding, cost, source, and reproductive data on dog and cat populations were obtained for Champaign County, Illinois. Of 623 households from which completed interviews were obtained, 37.4% had 1 or more dogs, and 17.8% had 1 or more cats. The estimated population of dogs was 22,118 and of cats, 16,055, with a proportion to human population of 1 dog/7.4 persons and 1 cat/9.9 persons. The mean age of cats (2.98 yr) was about two-thirds of the mean age of dogs (4.64 yr); the median age of cats (1.8 yr) was about one-half the median age of dogs (3.7 yr). The most often mentioned origin of dogs was private pet owners; cats were most often reported as being offspring of currently owned cats. The proportion of households owning dogs and cats was higher in rural than in urban areas.