How Much Do British Pet Owners Let Their Pets Get Away With?
With so many different pet varieties, the relationship dynamics between pet owners and pets vary. Pets can offer many varying benefits to each person, ranging from comfort, companionship, security and support.
It is estimated that 17 million households in the UK have pets, with the country owning approximately 12.5 dogs and 12.2 million cats. New research from a survey of 2,000 people undertaken by fitted furniture specialists Hammonds reveals that a massive 87% of pet owners admit to spoiling their pets.
How we discipline them
Learning how to discipline a dog or cat can be a long process that requires patience and trust on the side of both you and your pet. It requires an understanding of how the species’ behavioural patterns work, and there are helpful guidelines that offer insights on how to provide discipline for dogs and for cats.
The survey from Hammonds found that UK adults confess that they are slightly more likely to tell off their children for breaking house rules than their pets, with 35% saying that in this scenario they would tell off their children compared to 33% saying they would tell off their pet.
How we let them roam
Although we share a house with our pets, not everyone is happy to share their bed or furniture with furry friends.
Pet owners have different preferences over whether to let pets share furniture with them or not, and whether only under certain conditions. Whatever your preferences, it’s important to use training to make your pet aware of what your rules are.
The survey from Hammonds revealed some interesting findings.
41% of respondents said they let their pets share a bed with them. Of these, 53% of cat owners said they let their cats share a bed with them, versus 37% of dog owners.
More people allow their pets to get cosy on living room chairs and sofas, with 51% reporting that they are happy to allow their pets to do this.
And incredibly, nearly one in five (18%) of rabbit and guinea pig owners admit to letting these pets share with them.
How we feed them
Everybody likes a treat sometimes, but how do we balance treating our pets with keeping them on a healthy diet?
The percentage of people who let pets share human food was in a minority, but still perhaps higher than might be expected.
When it comes to the kitchen, 11% of those surveyed said they let pets lick pots clean after they’ve used them to cook. Slightly more are willing to let them lick plates after eating, with 15% being favourable to this.
Just over one in five (22%) confess to sharing food with furry friends when eating a meal or snacking. 6% even said that they even permit their pet to eat at the table with them and use the same crockery!
What’s clear is that in the UK, we love our pets, and most of us are prepared to spoil them a little bit. While it’s important to be careful about what we let our pets ingest, other aspects of pet ownership are down to personal preference, so it’s best to be respectful if you see one pet owner allowing something that you might consider beyond the pale.
