Sure, going out with your friends is fun and all, but sometimes all you want to do is kick back on the couch with some decent snacks and hang out with your pets, right? Apparently so, since a new survey has found that the majority of pet owners have canceled plans to hang out with their dogs and cats. For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me.
- The survey was conducted by pet genetics company Wisdom Health Genetics. It surveyed 13,000 pet owners as part of its 2020 Pet Consensus. In total, that accounted for more than 25,000 dogs and more than 6,000 cats. That’s a whole lot of pets!
- A lot of people prefer staying home with their four-legged friends. Of the participants, 72% of dog owners and 32% of cat owners admitted that they’ve canceled plans to go out because they’d rather stay in with their furry friends. That’s a whole lot of people!
- Dogs and cats aren’t just pets, they’re family members. An impressive 64% of survey participants said they consider their pets to be part of the family or even consider the animals to be their children. I might be guilty of this one myself…
- Lots of pets have their own social media accounts. About 17% of participants admitted that they’ve made their pets their own social media accounts on which to share pictures and updates about the animal’s life. Again, I’m guilty of this one myself – my dog needs to be seen!
- Bottom line? Our pets are incredibly important. “The Pet Census results reveal that pet parents across the U.S. increasingly think of their animals as family. The bond we share with our dogs and cats rank among our most important relationships,” said Audrey Yoo, general manager at Wisdom Health Genetics. “In the last ten years, our pets have undergone an incredible lifestyle evolution. And they now play a central role in our own lives — whether they’re improving our mental health, especially in these unique times, or sharing a spot in our beds.” Couldn’t agree more!
