More Dogs and Cats Than 'Bambini'

[zzyzzx]

More Dogs and Cats Than 'Bambini'
Dec 22, 10:34 AM (ET)

ROME - Remember the image of Italy as a country full of "bambini" playing on every street corner? Forget it. There are now more dogs and cats in Italian homes than children.

And, if statistical projections in a study published on Wednesday prove right, the pitter-patter of little Italian feet will increasingly give way to that of little Italian paws.

According to the study published in Rome's La Repubblica, there are at least 14.5 million dogs and cats in Italian homes compared with 8.7 million children under the age of 15.

Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe despite economic incentives for couples to have children.

One psychologist told the newspaper that domestic pets had become surrogate targets of affection for many young people who could not have or did not want to have children.

The newspaper said Italians were now spending 4.7 billion euros in pet food, up some 20 percent in the past five years.

[lordsmurf]

Your original post title was offensive (and political), please don't do that again. Not here. I've changed it to match the title of the article.