Pets vs. Partners: who do we really care for most?

Ever suspected your other half of giving Fido, Tigger or Thumper more love than they’re giving you? Sorry to break it to you, but your instinct might just be right. 

An incredible 19% of pet parents in the UK told us that their pet means more to them than their partner does. Ouch! Women are slightly more likely (20%) to feel this way than men (18%), but it seems that one in five pet parents favours their animal cohabitee over their human one. It might just be the time to address the elephant, cat, dog or hamster in the room. 

Perhaps it’s puppy love, but our insights show that it’s the younger pet parents who are more likely to prefer their creatures to their human companions. Almost a quarter (23%) of 16-24 year olds feel that way, saying they would choose their pet over their partners, but it’s also fairly common in older age groups too - 21% of 45-54 year olds and a fifth of over-55s said the same.

As a nation of pet lovers, almost half of pet parents (45%) say their pets and their partners mean the exact same amount to them. However, for men, some 43% say they prefer their human relationships to their animal ones, compared to only a quarter of women who say the same.

A thoughtful gift is a wonderful way of showing that special someone how much they mean to you, and our survey revealed that 42% of pet parents have, at some point, spent more money on a treat for a pet than for a human partner. Dogs are the most likely pet to have received a more expensive treat than a romantic partner (47%), followed by rabbits (43%) and cats (36%). 

It appears that men are more likely to spend big on their pets, with 44% of male pet parents saying they have spent more on their pets than their partners, compared to 40% of women. Millennials are the biggest age demographic spending more on animal treats than human ones, with more than half of pet parents aged 25-34 saying they are guilty of this crime (55%). The over 55s are the least likely to favour their pets in this way, with less than 30% saying they have treated their pets more than their animals. 

Londoners (56%) and people from Scotland and the North East (both 49%) are the biggest culprits when it comes to spending more on their pets than their partners, whereas those in the South East are least likely to fall into this spending trap (only 31%)

They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, but if you want to find out what your partner really thinks of you, it might be worth asking if the pressie they’ve just given you cost more than what they spent on dog clothes, cat toys or treats. 

Forgetting a significant other’s birthday is a definite faux pas. But then remembering to celebrate your cat or dog’s anniversary after is an even bigger fur pas. 

Nevertheless, almost a quarter (23%) of pet parents say they have forgotten a partner’s birthday, but remembered their pet’s. Men (31%) are more likely to have done so than women (17%), while those aged 25-34 are the biggest culprits across the UK. More than a third of pet parents in this age group say they have forgotten a partner’s birthday but managed to remember their pet’s, while only 10% of over 55s can say the same.

There’s nothing like spending quality time with someone special somewhere exotic, and we have found that pet parents in the UK are keen to take their animals on annual leave with them. 

Almost a third (30%) of pet parents say they have taken their pets on an animal-friendly holiday, with men (32%) more likely to take a pet away with them  than women (28%). Dogs are obviously our favourite travel buddies, with almost half of pet parents (46%) saying they have had a dog-friendly holiday, while a quarter of bird parents also say they have taken their feathered friends away on a break. Perhaps those winged critters needn’t pay airfares?

If you’re going abroad with a pet, don’t forget their jabs. Vaccination is a good idea and will keep them safe - particularly for cats and dogs. Almost three quarters (72%) of UK pet parents have ensured their pets’ medical safety by doing so already. 

When you embark on a new romantic relationship, you want to know your prospective partner appreciates every facet of you, just as you are. As the saying goes, ‘love me, love my dog’. And for many people, that idiom has a literal meaning too. 

We asked pet parents how they’d respond if a new partner asked them to get rid of a pet, and who they’d choose: the animal or the human? 

As a nation of pet lovers, perhaps it’s no surprise that more than half of pet parents said they’d put their pet first (59% vs 18%), while almost a fifth of those asked weren’t sure what they’d do in that situation. Almost two thirds of female pet parents said they’d absolutely choose their furry, faithful friend over a new human love interest compared to just over half of male parents (52%). By contrast, a fifth (21%) of men would dump their dog, cat or rabbit for a new human partner compared to just 16% of women. People aged 55 and over are most likely to prioritise the love of a human over any other living creature. 

Rabbits are the pets we would find it hardest to say goodbye to for a chance at love, with two thirds of pet parents saying “it’s not you, it’s my rabbit” - something about these fluffy bunnies makes them truly irresistible! Dogs and birds are almost as difficult to part ways with for a new romantic connection, with two thirds of dog parents and 60% of bird lovers also putting their pets first.

Whether your new romantic partner is zoophobic or has serious fur allergies, it seems we find it easier to break up with some pets than others. Reptile parents are the least likely to choose their pet over human love, with only 30% saying their loyalty is with their slithery sidekicks while a quarter of fish parents say they would happily say goodbye to Nemo to find love. Cat parents have also shown their true selves as almost a fifth (18%) say they would also give up their feline friend for the purrfect partner.

Residents of Edinburgh are most attached to their furbabies, with 75% saying they’d absolutely choose their pet over a new partner, followed by their Scottish neighbours in Glasgow (70%). Two thirds of pet parents in Leeds and Cardiff say the same, as would 65% of animal lovers in Plymouth. But along the south coast, it seems more pet parents in Brighton would choose new love than anywhere else in the UK, with two thirds of Brightonians saying they would have to give love a chance. Just over a fifth of pet lovers in Birmingham and Newcastle would say the same.

Long gone are the days when our dogs slept in kennels and our cats lived almost exclusively outdoors. Now we invite all kinds of pets into our private places - including the bedroom. 

According to our survey, the majority (65%) of pet parents allow their pets into their bedrooms, and even on their beds, with women (69%) more likely to do so than men (61%). There’s a pretty even spread across age groups, although three quarters of 16-24 year olds allow it compared to just two thirds of those aged 35-44. Scots (76%) are most likely to let pets into their beds, followed by people in the South West and South East of England (72%). 

Heavy petting is generally frowned upon in public spaces in the UK, so most people keep their love scenes to the privacy of their own homes. But those norms don’t always extend to members of other species. Almost a third of pet parents (30%) in our survey said they’d been intimate with a partner in front of a pet (perhaps unknowingly!), with more males admitting this has happened than females (36% of males vs 24%). 

This is particularly common among those aged 35-34 where 40% of pet parents in this age bracket admitted to indecent exposure in front of a pet, followed by pet parents aged 35-44 (35% have done so). The over 55s are the least likely to get caught out by their pets, followed by those aged 16-24. We’re hoping it was all the goldfish parents who replied ‘yes’ to this question…

Whether you share your life with canines, felines, homosapiens or a mix of creatures great and small, we’re all just animals in the end. That means we share many of the same needs - love, affection, food, a cosy place to sleep, and a good scratch from time to time. 

So, maybe there doesn’t need to be a competition between pets vs partners after all!

At Jollyes, you can find all the treats, foods and clothes you need to show your love for your pets - whether or not you have a human partner at home too.