THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS OUTNUMBERED PUPS STILL RULE MORE PADS.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

Cats- they're a family's favorite fuzz.

But given their druthers, most Americans prefer to see the big hound bound from the porch, according to statistics to be released today.

About 36 percent of households include dogs, while 32 percent have cats, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report. But feline fanatics take heart: Your pet sees the vet less often.

Fido owners across the San Fernando Valley rejoiced at the findings, speaking Monday of their fondness for their four-legged friends.

``The main reason I love dogs is they go places with you. ... They wag their tails no matter what, no matter what you're feeling,'' said Michelle Torchia, 36, of Sherman Oaks, after taking her best friend, Bob, an Australian cattle dog, to a Van Nuys park where he can legally run off leash. ``He's my son - I have a canine kid.''

Cat owners praised their animals' independence - low maintenance, perfect for apartments. You can leave them home alone for days. And what furry friend except a cat will sleep on your neck, stomach or back?

``My cat's my buddy,'' said Scott A. Orsan, 32, who lives in a studio apartment in Sherman Oaks. ``She just kicks back and chills, waits for me to get home - no poop on the floor, no ripped-up furniture. She's totally independent.''

The Milkbone and litter information was culled from hundreds of pages of facts and figures about America found in the new Statistical Abstract of the United States, being released today by the Census Bureau.

Among the findings:

--Cat owners are slightly more likely to have more than one pet roaming the home. Dogs, meanwhile, are more likely to visit the doctor: 85 percent of dog households took the pet to the vet in 2001, compared with 67 percent of cat homes.

--Nearly one in 20 pet-owning homes had a bird, and one in 50 owned a horse. Households with income of at least $55,000 a year were more likely to have a dog, cat or horse, while homes with less than $20,000 were more likely to have a bird.

--The larger the family, the more likely it is to own a pet, no matter what the animal.

Almost four in 10 households own one of the 68 million dogs in the United States, according to the Humane Society. The 73 million cats live in almost one household in every three. Many households have both a cat and a dog.

``I'm a dog lover, but I wouldn't want my wife to hear that, you know what I mean?,'' said Joe, 69, of Tarzana, who wisely withheld his last name. ``She likes cats.''

Jose Sanchez, manager of the Petco Grooming Salon in Van Nuys, said cat lovers are pickier about their pets, but cheap with their funds, while ``dog owners are willing to spend a lot of money.''

But Jackie Schwartz, 67, of Van Nuys - who had just spent $20.56 on premium cat litter for her five cats - disagreed.

``My paycheck goes to my animals,'' she said. ``If there's an afterlife, I want to come back as a Jewish house pet and be treated like I treat my cats.''

Whatever the preference, dogs and cats are often a major part of their owners' lives.

``He's what kept me going. He's what kept me alive - knowing that he needed me,'' said Gigi Kassmir, 53, of Tarzana, leading her 14-year-old poodle-Shih Tzu mix outside the Tarzana Pet Clinic. ``I've never had children. He's the child I didn't give birth to.''

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Bob the dog kisses up to owner Michelle Torchia as a canine chum joins in. Bob the cat hangs out in veterinarian Dawn Lawson's office.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) no caption (Cat)

(4 -- color) no caption (Dog)

Box:

(1) TOP CATS

(2) TOP DOGS

(3) Statistics on pet ownership in 2001 from the Census Bureau's 122nd annual Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau, American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the U.S., Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc.