Pets are one of the family

There are some 13.5million cats in French homes and 7.3million dogs – however both figures pale in comparison with the numbers of fish people own: 33 million. There are also 5.8million cage birds and 3.4m small mammals such as rabbits.

Cats have increased in number from 10m in 2006, while dog ownership is dropping – there were 9m in 2000 – possibly because dogs are seen as requiring more work.

Nonetheless, numbers of dogs in France increased by 1.1% compared to 2014.

Dog and cat owners usually see their pet as a ‘companion’ and many view them as a ‘member of the family’ the survey found (60% of dog owners of 50% of cat owners).