In a pet store survey about dog and cat owners, it was found that 18%

Question

In a pet store survey about dog and cat owners, it was found that 18% were cat owners, and 42% were male pet owners. What percentage are female dog owners?

(1) 34% of the owners are male dog owners.
(2) The ratio of female cat owners to male cat owners is 5 to 4.

Source: Math Revolution

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dhart · Answer

it looks like option D

MintLog · Answer

Option D is the correct answer.

We can solve it using a grid.

Information given:

Cat Dog Total 
Male 42
Female ? (100-42) 
Total 18 (100-18) 100

1) Given that Male dog owners are 34%. We can find Female Dog owners by (100-18)-34.
Sufficient.

2) Given that Female:Male cat ratio is 5:4. 
5x+4x = 18 
x = 2
Female cat owners:5x=10
We can find female dog owners by (100-42)-10.
Sufficient.

Thus, each statement alone is sufficient.
D) is the correct answer.

SoHaaM · Answer

statement 1. 82-34=48. sufficient

statement 2. 42-8=34 . Then, 82-34=48. also sufficnet

answer (D)

Edskore · Answer

This one's sneaky because it looks like a straightforward percent problem until you dig into statement 2, and I remember flagging almost the exact same trap on my own diagnostic.

1. Set total pet owners to 100 (percentages become headcounts). Cat owners = 18%, so dog owners = 82%.
2. Male pet owners = 42%, so female pet owners = 58%. We want female dog owners.
3. Statement 1: male dog owners = 34%. Since total dog owners = 82%, female dog owners = 82 - 34 = 48%. Sufficient.
4. Statement 2: female cat : male cat = 5:4. Cat owners total is fixed at 18%, so split 18 in a 5:4 ratio, female cat = 10%, male cat = 8%. Total male pet owners is 42%, so male dog = 42 - 8 = 34%. Female dog = 82 - 34 = 48%. Also sufficient, and it lands on the exact same 48%, nice sanity check.
5. Each statement alone nails down 48%, so the answer is D.

The trap here is assuming a ratio statement is automatically "not enough on its own" because it doesn't hand you a straight percentage. People see 5:4 and instinctively want to pair it with something else. But when the ratio applies to a category whose total you already know, it converts into hard numbers instantly. I actually stopped mid-solve to double check statement 2 wasn't secretly insufficient, because C felt like the "safe" pick.

Takeaway: when a DS ratio statement acts on a group whose size you already know, don't assume it needs backup, run the numbers before deciding it's insufficient.

In a pet store survey about dog and cat owners, it was found that 18%

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GMAT Data Sufficiency (DS) Questions

In a pet store survey about dog and cat owners, it was found that 18%

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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My Rewards