Pet Owners Treating Animals Like Children

Thu, 29 Jul 2010

A new study by pet insurance provider Petplan has found that women in the UK are beginning to treat pets as they would their own children. The study questioned more than 100,000 pet owners across Britain as part of the Petplan Census, and found that women in particular have begun to become possessive of their pets, feed them food they would eat themselves and dress their animals up in clothes.

The survey found that 75 per cent of female respondents treat their pets, whether dogs, cats or any other type of animal, with expensive gifts on birthdays and at Christmas, while 82 per cent admitted they find it hard to leave their pet at home.

Interpreting the findings, senior psychology lecturer at Queens University in Belfast, Dr Deborah Wells, suggested that the companionship provided by pets is equivalent to the satisfaction of bringing up children, thereby providing an alternative outlet for nurturing behaviour and emotional attachment.

The survey follows the impressive financial figures released by pet shop Pets at Home which revealed an increasing number of pet owners are buying their dogs clothes.

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