Dogs may be man’s best friend, but a growing number of men are making cats their closest companion, a survey has found.

The number of pet cats in Britain has risen by 500,000 in the past year to reach eight million, with men and young people accounting for the growth, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA).

Five and a half million men own a cat, an increase of more than a million since 2016. It means that almost one in five men has one.

Prominent cat lovers such as Russell Brand and Ewan McGregor may have influenced other men to follow suit, experts believe. From Larry, the cat that David Cameron admitted he missed after leaving No 10, to Graham, a kitten adopted