Research with 2,000 people shows that tutors of dogs and cats feel less socially isolated compared to those who do not have animals at home.

 

They are the best remedy against loneliness and work overload. A survey commissioned by the pet food and pet company Mars Petcare at OnePoll with 2,000 people found that after a month of a cat or dog’s arrival, 75% of them no longer feel alone.

The study found that 33% of respondents describe themselves as “socially isolated” and claim to have only two people they can truly trust. There are a number of factors identified as triggers for this isolation, but there is an excessive dedication to work – 32% of respondents revealed that overtime was detrimental to their personal lives – and the exaggeration in the use of social networks – 25% of people admitted that a large part of their social interactions happen online.

The survey also found that respondents feel alone on average seven days a month, that six out of 10 people present social anxiety and more than 75% avoid complete socialization. In addition, 44% think that the human being is less friendly than it was just five years ago, 75% believe that people are becoming more distant from each other compared to previous generations and one in six respondents admits that they care more with what others think about him than they did five years ago.

However, pets seem to make all the difference: 21% of people who own cats and dogs said they feel alone, compared to 32% of those who do not have pets.

According to Deri Watkins, Mars Petcare Executive, pets can be part of the solution to the growing question of loneliness. “This research shows the tangible difference our canine and feline friends can make in the lives of lonely people.”

§ 82% of animal tutors interviewed felt less alone receiving an animal.

§ 4 out of 5 respondents said the feeling of isolation disappeared 1 month after the pet happened to be a part of their lives.

§ 6 out of 10 people interviewed reported that the pet is their closest companion.

§ 85% of respondents said that their pet makes the home a happier place to live.

§ Over 50% of respondents attribute to pet a new sense of purpose for their lives.

§ 50% of interviewed dog tutors are more likely to talk to people they do not know when they walk with the pet.

§ 62% of respondents who own a dog said they do more exercise.

 

By Paloma Oliveto
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