We're a nation of pet lovers, but would you go as far as to say you love your furry friend as much as your own flesh and blood?
Believe it or not, over a third of people would.
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Yes research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of healthy dog food brand I And Love You found that 34 per cent of parents prefer their pets to their children, saying that their furry companions are their "favourite child".
In the survey of 2,000 pet owners, it was also found that 78 per cent said their pets are part of the family and a further 68 per cent said they see their pets as people.
To add to that, 58 per cent said they think their furry friends understand them better than their best friend or significant other.
The research also looked into the key habits of a pet fanatic, which include:
- 44 per cent of pet owners create a social media account for their pets
- 42 per cent throw them a birthday party
- 42 per cent buy their pets clothes of fancy accessories
- 41 per cent of pet owners spend more on a meal for their pets than themselves
- 40 per cent regularly let their pets sleep in their bed
The research echoes another study conducted earlier this year which found 15 per cent of Brits are happy to admit that they love their pet more than their significant other.
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The albeit unsurprising survey of 1,254 of people in relationships across the UK questioned the participants on just how much their feline and canine friends (and all the species in between) mean to them.
And 15 per cent said they loved their pet more than their partner. A third of people put their pet and their partner on the same level, while only a further third of people were willing to say they loved their partner more than their pet.
Carried out by Maguire Family Law, the research comes in light of the ever increasing numbers of divorces struggling to settle who gets to keep the pet at the end.
Thoughts on just replacing humans with pets altogether?
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