SEVEN In Ten Dog Owners Would Rather Have Night In With Their Pooch Than Go Out

It’s Friday night. You’ve just been paid and the clock is ticking down to the end of the working week. Do you a) go to the pub or b) head home?

If you said B, the chances are you have a pet waiting for you at home after a survey of pet owners found that they prefer staying in with their pooches than going out and meeting new people.

A staggering 70% of dog owners said they’d rather stay in with their pets, while 59% of cat owners said the same thing.

Overall, 57% of pet owners surveyed by YouGov on behalf of global pet insurance technology integrator Aquarium Software said they’d rather be tucked up on the sofa with their rabbits, cats, cockatiels and dogs than out on the tiles.

There may be an element of cause and effect at work here; cats and dogs need feeding and walking in the evening, and once you’re in, you’re in.

There’s also a chance that pet owners are more likely to be older and live in more settled households than pet-less ones, again contributing to the desire to stay in and avoid outside human contact.

“As a dog owner I might be slightly biased, but with the amount of joy dogs bring, coupled with their loyalty, it’s no surprise to see just how popular they are with their pet parents,” said lead researcher Mark Colonnese, sales and marketing director of Aquarium.

“For a majority of pet owners to choose pets over people shows how much we enjoy the company of our animals,” Mark added.

"They may not be able to talk – but perhaps that is why we like them so much. As a nation, we really are infatuated with our animals.”

Image credit: Cristoffer Crusell