Almost half of pet parents have canceled plans just to stay home with their pet.
That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 cat and dog owners, Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of dog and cat food brand Nutrish, which found that not only have 48% bailed on plans with friends and family, they’ve done so an average of five times in their pet’s life. Another 30% even admit they’ve called out of work just to stay home with their pet — averaging four times since they’ve brought them home.
Almost all respondents (97%) agree that their pet is a member of their family and another 99% believe it’s important to show them love and appreciation every single day. To show their love, pet parents chat with their four-legged friends an average of 11 times per day, as well as average 10 cuddle sessions and 10 instances of giving them scratches or a massage.
Respondents reported that on average, they also play games with their pet seven times per day, call them nicknames 10 times and even sing to them about five times.