Are you a cat person or dog person? According to this study, those who fall into the latter group are statistically happier!

It’s a classic debate: do you prefer dogs or cats? General Social Survey conducted an investigation to determine which of the two opposing teams of animal lovers might be happier. The results showed that dog parents are about twice as likely as cat parents to say they’re happy.

The surveyors admit there are likely numerous reasons why dog people are reportedly happier than those with cats. For instance, their data shows that dog parents are more likely to be married couples who own their own homes – two factors that positively affect one’s overall feelings of fulfilment and purpose.

To find metrics that supported or disproved the results of the GSS survey, a people-finder company named Nuwber stepped in. “We decided to leverage our database of publicly-available information on US households, to confirm or debunk popular myths about ‘dog people’ or ‘cat people’,” says Irina Slobodchikova of Nuwber. “What other factors could make one group happier than the other?”

Among other things, Nuwber found that dog parents are more likely to earn more money, and also lean more towards outdoor activities and sports – two further indicators of happiness.