52 per cent of dog and cat owners describe their pets as their ‘best friends’
Just over half of dog and cat owners describe their pets as their ‘best friend’ according to new research from Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance(1). The corresponding figure for dog owners is 59 per cent and for those who own cats it’s 41 per cent(1).
Overall, 49 per cent of dog and cat owners say they prefer animals to people. When asked why, 60 per cent said it’s because they are like a faithful friend; 58 per cent said they are more reliable than people and don’t let you down, and 54 per cent said they just make them feel more cheerful(1).
Psychologist Gladeana McMahon says this is evidence of the “humanisation” of pets – people seeing themselves in them. She says evidence of this can be seen in the range of human-like goods and services for pets, including counselling, massage, motion-sickness pills for dogs and vitamin-enriched food.
The research also reveals that 17 per cent of the nation’s cats and dogs have their own social media profiles(1). Around one in eight (12 per cent) are on Facebook, 5 per cent are on Instagram, 5 per cent are on Twitter and 3 per cent on Snapchat. Some 35 per cent of dog and cat owners commented that their pets feature heavily in their own social media channels(1).
To find out which pets are making people happy in your neck of the woods, check out Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance’s new interactive pet map. It tells you whether you live in a cat or dog area and the most popular breeds in it. You can also find out whether your pet’s name ranks in the nation’s favourites.
www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/petmap(2)
Tom Thomson, Head of Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance, said: “Our pets play an important role in our lives. Not only are they valued members of our families, in many cases they are our best friends.
“However, if they become ill, the cost of veterinary treatment can run into thousands of pounds, but despite this the vast majority of our cats and dogs don’t have pet insurance(3).”
Psychologist Gladeana McMahon said: “As the problem of loneliness increases in society through a variety of factors such as smaller families, single-person households, living away from family and ageing populations, some people are turning to their pets to provide social comfort and become their ‘best friends’. Our love for our pets is so strong that we are increasingly ‘humanising’ them through the names we give them, and by creating their own profiles on social media.”
Further evidence of the love we have for our pets is that nearly one in four dog and cat owners (42 per cent) say they take more photos of their pets than they do of their partners, and 26 per cent take more pictures of them than their own children(1).
The research(1) also reveals that the five most popular names for dogs are Max, Jack, Poppy, Charlie and Alfie. For cats they are Poppy, Daisy, Molly, Smudge and Lucy.
Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance lets customers build a policy to suit their pet's needs. There are three policy levels to choose from as well as additional cover options available. For further information people can call 0330 100 7925 or go online at www.sainsburysbank.co.uk
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
(1) Sainsbury’s Bank commissioned Opinium Research to survey 4,008 nationally representative UK adults aged 18+ between 25 April-5 May 2017. Opinium Research is a member of the British Polling Council (and abides by its rules). Figures have been scaled up using a nationally representative sample (51,339,000).
(2) The data used for the interactive tool is based on research amongst thousands of Sainsbury’s customers around the UK (its own customer panel circa 5,000, as well as Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance customers). The findings for location are therefore indicative, and relate to the breakdown of cat and dog ownership amongst Sainsbury’s customers in that region, and the breeds of dogs and cats they own. The Opinum research was used to determine most popular pet names.
(3) ABI, April 2017 - here
Sainsbury's Pet Insurance is sold, underwritten and administered by Allianz Insurance plc
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Johnston-Watt, Sainsbury’s Bank on 0131 286 0010 /
[email protected] / Citigate Dewe Rogerson 020 7368 9571
About Sainsbury’s Bank
To view our latest press releases and product information, please visit the Sainsbury’s Bank online media centre at www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/media
Sainsbury’s was the first major British supermarket to open a bank, commencing trading in February 1997. Benefiting from a fantastic, trusted brand that enables us to combine the shopping experience with personal finance, Sainsbury’s Bank provides a range of quality products including insurances, credit cards, savings and loans. Our proposition is to make shopping more rewarding by offering customers great products at fair prices, while consistently rewarding shoppers for their loyalty and being easy to do business with at all times. Our products consistently top best buy tables and regularly win awards for quality, price and service.
Sainsbury's Bank plc. Registered Office, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT (registered in England and Wales, no 3279730) is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (register no. 184514). Sainsbury's Bank plc is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).