What is the level of love for our pets? On the occasion of World Animal Day this Sunday, October 4, this is what Woopets.fr wanted to discover, by probing its Internet users on the relationship they have with their four-legged animal.
If we preferred to focus on the most popular pets, there are still disparities: 26% of respondents own a dog , 45% a cat and 28% both .
An unconditional love for animals which is also reflected in the seventh art: the vast majority of respondents (81%), declare that what impacts them the most when they watch a film or a series, is the unjustified death of ‘an animal . Far from the disappearance of one of the main characters (11%) or even an unexpected betrayal (8%).
When we ask them about the behavior of their companion, again we observe a disparity. Mostly, there is an excess of love and absence of constraints for their animals, since 59% declare that the latter is the king at home . 27% of respondents consider their pet to be well educated.
Animals that occupy a large place in the daily lives of respondents: two thirds of respondents say that their pet is their main source of love on a daily basis, far ahead of their spouse (13%), their family (19%) or even their friends (2%). A result which can in particular be explained by the composition of the panel. Indeed, the majority of people designating their pet as the main source of love are women (85%) and people over 50 (50%).
Data that can alert us to the isolation of the elderly . Excluded from the social environment, and having little contact with their family or friends, the four-legged companion becomes the main vector of love keeping company with these isolated people.
In addition, 55% of respondents say that it is their pet they love the most , in front of their family (29%), their spouse (15%) or even their friends (1%). A feeling shared mostly by 83% of people over 50, and by 85% of women surveyed.
Confinement required, many were forced not to go on vacation or to take her with them. Thus, 93% of respondents claim to have spent the summer with their pet . Mainly the elderly (47%), considered to be at risk and not very inclined to travel last summer.
Concerning the active people declaring to have spent the summer with their companion, 65% of them find that their pet is sad now that he sees them leaving every morning since the start of the school year. As if our four-legged friends have grown used to our presence, even more so with the confinement that has forced us all to stay cloistered at home more than usual. A feeling also shared 75% by the masters, for whom leaving their companion every morning is a real heartbreak.
Fortunately our companions are not at all resentful: 82% of respondents do not have the impression that their pet is angry with them for having spent the day alone , they are, on the contrary, happy to find their master , just like the latter (98%), delighted to find their animal at the end of the day.
But why is the presence of our animals so essential to us? According to our Internet users, it is mainly for the love they give us (42%), as well as the fact that they are always there, even when things are not going well (41%). In more detail, it is mainly women who are more sensitive to these character traits vis-à-vis animals.
What about hygiene? The current health crisis has shown that washing your hands is important and can prevent the spread of viruses. Barrier gestures that should not be forgotten , even when we are in contact with our animals. Also, rather poor performers, the majority of respondents (52%) say they never wash their hands when they stroke their animal , on the pretext that they consider it clean.
A risk that does not, however, affect the proximity that one can have with his animal: 31% of respondents like to talk to him as if it were a person and 39% still claim to sleep with him. A closeness encountered particularly in women who are more likely to spend their nights with their animal and to speak to him normally.
A proximity that has limits, however: 61% of respondents consider letting their face lick their animal as the worst mania in terms of hygiene . This does not prevent a tiny part of them (2%) from letting themselves be done all the same. If licking their face is the limit not to cross, some of the respondents do not see any problem with kissing their animal (22%) or sleeping with their companion (42%).
To read also: The gymnast, Aly Raisman, Olympic gold medalist, finds her missing dog and pays tribute to his rescuers
To download the survey results, please click here.
Woopets study carried out by self-administered questionnaire online on the woopets.fr website from September 17 to 28 with a sample of 1,640 people who own a pet, not representative of the population aged 18 and over residing in mainland France.
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