Rise in women choosing pets over children
Women practice their parenting skills on cats and dogs while putting off having a baby, finds new research
Women are choosing to parent their pets rather than have babies, according to a survey of 10,000 pet owners by Petplan Insurance.
“Companionship” was given as the top reason for buying a pet by women aged 25 to 34 and 75% said they felt guilty for leaving their pets alone or with pet-sitters while at work.
“Dogs and cats can offer their owners many of the benefits frequently provided by children,” said Dr Deborah Wells, who is an expert in pet-human relationship psychology. “These include love and affection, companionship and happiness,” she added.
While here at MadeForMums, we wouldn’t agree that pets can replace children, it does seem that dedicated pet-lovers are adopting parenting tactics to care for their furry friends! Both men and women admitted to over-feeding and treating their pets to human food to alleviate the guilt of leaving them alone and 70% shell out for Christmas and birthday presents!
Dr Deborah also explaind how some women use their pets to practice their parenting. “For some owners, pets can provide a useful training ground for motherhood,” she said. “In some cases this helps to shape important decisions on whether or not children are to be part of their future.”
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