Britains's Purrfect place To live  Tigger in her natural environment. Nottingham has been named the best city in Britain to live – for cats and dogs! Previously labelled as one of the worst places to live1 for humans, results of a new study have revealed that cats and dogs living in Nottingham are likely to be some of the happiest in the UK. The city was ranked number one in research commissioned by PURINA ONE Natural Balance pet food which investigated key environmental and lifestyle factors that can contribute to the well-being of cats and dogs. Among the winning factors was Nottingham's high ratio of green space (comprising parks, open spaces and gardens) to built-up areas. Fifty five per cent of the city and its immediate surroundings are green space, considerably higher than cities such as Manchester (40 percent) and London (25 percent). The city also excels in services that cater to its four-legged locals with 16 pet stores and 18 vets per 100,000 population - the highest proportion in the UK. Animal Behaviourist, Dr Peter Neville explains: "Having access to a variety of outdoor space allows cats and dogs to exercise and encourages natural behaviours such as digging, stalking and climbing which can contribute significantly to a pet's happiness." Bristol came second in the search for the top place for cats and dogs to live. It scored highly on the environmental criteria, with 60 percent of green space in the city and suburbs plus good air and water quality. However the city was let down on services: just eight pet stores per 100,000 population and 13 catteries or kennels per 100,000 population. Glasgow and Leicester tied for third spot. Leicester's services were found to be excellent with the joint highest number of catteries and kennels – 18 per 100,000 population; while Glasgow's pet-friendly green spaces got the study's seal of approval. Glasgow's clean rivers and streams were particularly praised, as both cats and dogs have a tendency to drink from all sorts of outdoor sources when their owners aren't looking. The least pet-friendly cities in the UK were named as London, Birmingham and Bradford. Unsurprisingly the capital was bottom of the pile. Not only did London receive low scores for air and water quality and could boast only 25 percent green space, it also fell down on amenities like animal shelters, vets and even pet-friendly cafes and pubs. Natacha Mauvoisin, Brand Manager for PURINA ONE Natural Balance, said: "Brits are renowned for treating their pets like one of the family and when choosing a place to live it is worth considering the impact the location will have on their pets. We hope this study will give pet-lovers a helping hand in choosing the best place for their pets to live." The table below is based on the 15 most populated cities in Britain.
PURINA ONE Natural Balance is a complete and balanced recipe, developed by PURINA vets and nutritionists to provide all the nutrients necessary for a cat and dog's well-being. Purina ONE Natural Balance includes high quality ingredients selected for their nutrients and natural properties like oats, brown rice and blackcurrants. For more information go to www.purinaone.co.uk/naturalbalance. 1. Endsleigh Insurance Services – worst place to live based on crime rates (March 2008). 2. Research was conducted online and via telephone interviews by LM Research during March 2008 on the 15 most populated cities in Britain. The number of pet stores, vets, catteries, kennels, pet-friendly venues and shelters was evaluated per 100,000 population, while air and water quality was based on existing public data. |
