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NEW YORK — Picture this: your friends call you on Friday and invite you to hang out at a local bar. Unfortunately, you’ve already made plans — with your pet! Don’t laugh, a new poll finds almost half of pet parents actually cancel their social plans just to stay home with their furry friends.
That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 cat and dog owners, which found that not only have 48% bailed on plans with friends and family, they’ve done so an average of five times during their current pet’s life. Another 30% admit they’ve also called out of work just to stay home with their pet — averaging four pet-related sick days since they’ve brought them home.
Almost all respondents (97%) agree that their pet is a member of their family, and another 99% believe it’s important to show them love and appreciation every single day. To show their love, pet parents chat with their four-legged friends an average of 11 times per day and provide an average of 10 cuddle sessions and 10 scratches or massages.
On average, pet owners also play games with their pets seven times per day, call them by their nickname 10 times, and even sing to them five times. When they aren’t spending time together, pets are also dominating their owners’ thoughts. Respondents dwell on their pet nearly every other waking hour (four times per day).
Another 39% worry about their pet’s nutrition at least once a day, with 22% saying they think about it multiple times. Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of dog and cat food brand Nutrish, the survey found that when asked about several different aspects of their pet’s well-being, pet parents selected nutrition most frequently (40%) as the aspect they feel is most important.
Most pet owners (51%) feed their pets a combination of both dry and wet food, including 61% of cat owners. However, cats tend to prefer their wet food (31%), whereas dogs prefer dry food (43%), according to pet parents.
Our furry friends also have different palate preferences; dogs most often devour chicken (44%), beef (31%), and bacon (30%), whereas cats prefer chicken (57%), salmon (43%), and turkey (18%). Regardless of flavor choice, 13% of all pet owners report that their pet has special dietary needs — including sensitive stomach (38%) and weight management (28%).
“Between dousing them with love and affection and paying special attention to their nutritional needs, it’s clear that cat and dog owners take their pet parenting seriously,” says Dr. Preston Buff, a board-certified Animal Nutritionist working as a Principal Scientist of Nutrition and Animal Safety at Post Consumer Brands, which manufactures Nutrish, in a statement. “Pet owners are going the extra mile to ensure that their pet feels like part of the family, and high-quality food with ingredients that offer mind, body, and energy benefits can only increase that bond.”
Your pet’s perfect day
The survey also asked respondents to design a hypothetical “dream day” for their pet, specifically, a day that combines all their fluff ball’s favorite things.
According to the results, their special day would start around 8:36 a.m. The main event for the day would be either a road trip (34%), a shopping spree at their pet’s favorite store (29%), or a dinner at a pet-friendly restaurant with a pet-friendly menu (27%) together.
Pet owners would also ideally lay in the Sun or sit outside with their pet for an average of five hours and report that their pet would want to nap for an additional six hours during this extra special day. This is good news, as almost two in five (37%) pet parents even say their favorite way to bond with their pet is a cuddle or nap on the couch or bed.
Pet parents hope that their pet will display some of their quirky or silly ways of showing happiness, including “zoomies,” “wiggle butt,” “trying to lick the cat’s ears,” or even “take a little bite out of my nose.”
“Though it may be hypothetical, designing a dream or special day for their pet clearly demonstrates the lengths pet owners are willing to go to keep their furry friends feeling loved and both happy and healthy,” says Dr. Buff. “Pets bring so much joy into our lives and it’s only fair we reciprocate by giving them the quality time and quality food their owners know will make the difference.”
Survey methodology
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 cat and dog owners; the survey was commissioned by Nutrish and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between August 24 and August 30, 2024.
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