Some Interesting Pet Facts

Have you ever thought your pet is your best friend? You are not alone here are some interesting pet facts that may surprise you.

According to a poll by Harris Interactive in 2009, 88% of pet owners regard their pet as a member of their family……….

…….But do Pet Owners like their pet more than their partners?  Well you decide, according to research carried out on behalf of Directline Insurance in the UK

• 90 per cent of dog owners take more pictures of their pet than their partners
• 86 per cent of dog owners prefer to have their pet as their screen saver
• 45 per cent of dog owners always use a picture of their pet as their social media profile

Speaking of interesting stuff from the UK check out these dancing dogs at www.dothepetstep.com

Australians also prefer the company of their pets with 83% women and 64% of men saying they would not enter into a relationship with someone who did not like their pet, according to research carried out on behalf of Pet Care.

A study by www.nsalamerica.org found that more than half of pet owners would rather be stranded on a desert island with their pet than another person.

Pets are also good for our health

·         Pet owners are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than non-pet owners (ava.com).

·         Dog owners are more likely to interact with others while out walking their dog (sciencekids.co.nz).

 Interesting Pet Stats

The total number of household pets in Australia is 33 million.  Of these 3.41million are dogs, 2.35 million are cats and the remainders are other types of pets – ie rabbits, fish, guinea pigs, birds etc. (ava.com).

Australians spend around $1500 per year on their pet, (source: Ibisworld.com)

The average life span of a cat is 12-15 years (source: tips for cats.com)

Like human babies all kittens are born with blue eyes (source: tipsforcats.com)

Pet Health Facts and Statistics

Australians spent $12.2bn on vet bills in 2009 (ratecity.com.au)

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) 52% of dogs and 58,3% of cats in the US are considered overweight or obese,

Cancer is the number one cause of natural death in older pets. Source: Veterinary Oncology & Haematology Centre

Pet Insurance Statistics

The first pet insurance policy ever written in the United States was by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) for the famous television dog Lassie in 1982 (source: Wikipedia)

A quarter of pet owners in Great Britain have pet insurance this compares to less than 10% of Australian pet owners.

In Great Britain, roughly 25% of pet owners have pet insurance. In Sweden, nearly 50% of pet owners insure their pets.