Final answer:
To find the number of cats in the pet store, we need to solve the equation d = 3c + 12, where d represents the number of dogs and c represents the number of cats. By substituting the given value of 21 for d, we can solve for c and determine that the pet store has 3 cats.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of cats in the pet store, we need to solve the equation given. Let's represent the number of cats as 'c' and the number of dogs as 'd'. According to the information given, the number of dogs is 12 more than three times the number of cats, so we can write the equation as: d = 3c + 12. We are also given that there are 21 dogs in the pet store, so d = 21.
Now we can substitute this value into the equation and solve for 'c': 21 = 3c + 12. Subtracting 12 from both sides gives us 9 = 3c, and dividing by 3 gives us c = 3. Therefore, the pet store has 3 cats.