filed in Daily Life, Myths and stereotypes
Are Single Women in Bed With Their Pets?
Singles were more likely to say a pet was a full member of the family than married people — 66 percent of single women versus 46 percent of married women, for example. And men were less likely to call their pet a full member of the household. — AP/Petside Poll, June 23, 2009
Most nights, I sleep with my cat (Lily), my dog (Rose) or both. According to an AP/Petside poll just released, I’m apparently keeping company with about a third of American pet owners. More than 50% of those surveyed have given their dogs human-like names, but since Rose and Lily are flowers, I’m not sure exactly where I fit in. I’ve never dressed my animals in outfits, as some respondents have done (that Pug on the right is NOT my dog), but once I tried to put a strand of costume pearls over my bijoodle’s head, and she ripped it off within a minute. I have lots of photos of R & L on my iPhone (though I didn’t make either of them my wallpaper, because really how could you choose). I don’t feed my animals human food as do 43% of pet owners, except for the occasional organic free-range turkey I mix into Rose’s bowl.
I don’t think of Rose and Lily as family members. I don’t sign greeting cards with their names, they are not in holiday announcements. I don’t take them on vacations. (Am I cruel?) However, I do expect them to send me Mother’s Day cards. After all, I’m only human.
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I wonder how this poll would fall out between couples with kids at home and couples without kids at home.
In general, I think that people without kids have time and money to give more attention to their pets.
But my dog is definitely my companion. Although she doesn’t have a halloween costume so I guess I’m a lousy parent.