Blue state versus red state? It's as simple as cat versus dog.
The Washington Post, which compiled an interactive map of favorite pets in every state, found that analyzing a state based on its preference of dog or cat looks a lot like the last presidential election: Red states tend to be dog states; blue states are more cat friendly. Unsurprisingly, the Lone Star State is home to 7.2 million dogs — more than any other state in the country.
In the U.S., cats outnumber dogs in the Northeast and Upper Midwest while dogs are the favorite in the South and Southwest. Arkansas is the most dog-friendly state and Massachusetts is the most cat-loving state.
On the west coast, California's preference is fairly even with 6.7 million dogs versus 7.1 million cats. And the political trends don't end there. In many of the traditional swing states, such as Ohio, Florida and Michigan, cat owners tend to outrank dogs owners — though usually by a very slim margin.
Whether you live in Texas, California, Vermont or any of the other 47 states, you can check out this map to see which animal is more populous in that state.
