You said statistically but provided an anecdote. Is this statistically based on your experience in your specific area or do you have actual stats to back this up?
Because I've spoken to lots of women who feel the same way I do. My wonder is whether something else in your profile is attracting women who don't like cats/prefer dogs (are you extremely active possibly and are looking for somebody super outdoorsy?) perhaps or it could be a fluke, because what I've heard/experienced does not align with what you have experienced.
In my experience, the cat pic is a signal that a man understands consent since cat ownership often requires some kind of base understanding of consent lest you get mauled. Could be a regional thing though, maybe that's not a gauge people use where you are from.