Fur babies get the tick of approval

I HAVE been known to flick through page after page of cute animal videos and photos on my phone and share cute videos on Facebook. I am also known to share photos of my cats and dog, so I can relate to the figures ING found in their research for their new pet insurance.

The research found that one in three Australians love their pets more than family, and another third (34 percent) consider their pet their child.

Key findings of the research also include:

  • Pets over partners: a quarter (26 percent) of pet owners would end a relationship if a partner didn’t like their pet
  • Positives on our wellbeing: over a third (34 percent) say their mental health has improved since owning a pet, and over half (54 percent) say their pet has a calming effect on them
  • Fur-st choice: a third of Aussies (33 percent) have declared their pet as their closest companion, while 26 percent admit they’d rather stay in with their pet than go out with friends
  • Pampering pets: 40 percent spend more on their pets than themselves, and more than one in ten (13 percent) admit they’ve spent more on their pet’s birthday than for a family member or friend’s
  • Making time for pets: Aussies are, on average, investing more than a full working day (9.6 hours) each week caring and up keeping their fur babies
  • That last is true. I get a very sad face every morning as I leave for work. How do you relate to your pets?