Cat owners are more likely to be single and have fewer friends than dog owners, according to a study

Cat owners are more likely to be single and have fewer friends than dog owners, according to a study by Facebook.

The social media giant got its claws into a sample of about 160,000 people in the United States who shared photos of cats or dogs on Facebook.

It found that 30 per cent of those who shared cat photos were single, against 24 per cent of those who posted photographs of dogs.

On average, people with dog photos had 26 more friends than cat owners.

Facebook found that cat and dog lovers tend to stick together - cat people tend to be friends with other cat people and dog people with other dog people.

However, pet owners on both sides are more likely to be friends with each other than with people who don't have pets at all.

The study found cat people seem to enjoy indoor activities more - they enjoy books, TV, and movies - perhaps giving them more time to snuggle up with their feline.

The study did, however, highlight at least some benefits of being a cat lover.

The quality of cat-owners' friendships appear to be higher as, despite having fewer friends, they are invited to more events on Facebook.

Facebook analysed the amount of likes and found cat people are especially fond of sci-fi and fantasy films, while dog people show a preference for love stories.

The study found dog owners are particularly (but perhaps unsurprisingly) interested in stories about dogs.

Dog people are more concentrated in the countryside, where there's more space for a dog to exercise, while cat people are more often found in cities

The study found cat lovers seem to express a wider variety of feelings on the site.

It found that cat owners are disproportionately likely to say they're feeling tired, but also happy and loved.

On the other hand, dog owners are more likely to express excitement or pride.