Chart of the Day

Are Your Neighbors Spoiling Their Cats?

Serena Dai 2,199 Views Jul 25, 2012

More people own dogs than cats in general, but sometimes it's more about the quality of the cat's life than the quantity of animals, right? Turns out, people in some areas of the country demand more treats for their cats.

Esri, a geographic info developing company, used data from 2011 to map out the market potential for cat treats in the interactive map below. The group's "marketing potential index" compares the demand of regions to demand across the country. It's based on a combination of demographic data and information from consumer surveys compiled by a marketing program.

The results: The darker the block, the more demand it has for cat treats such as tuna flakes. Bluer blocks have less demand for cat treats compared to the rest of the country. (Usability note: You may have to zoom out a little after you type in your zip code in order to see the coloring.) The biggest dark patch in the country belongs to Idaho, where only one blue patch exists in the entire state. New York City is largely blue, while our upstate neighbors in Hamilton County shower their cats with treats. The biggest blue region in the country is southern California, where cat owners must deprive their cats of the joys of life. (Haha, kidding.)

This sort of info helps shop owners figure the best places to sell cat treats, Esri says of the data. But the map also shows whether or not people in your zip code are spoiling their cats, thus confirming any suspicions you had about your neighbors. Take a look:


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Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at sdai at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

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