May 7, 2014
Categories: Research

BlondgirlwblondcatPeople don’t just love their shelter pets as much as pets from other sources, they’re as attached to them as to the people in their lives.

In a study conducted in Chicago, researchers looked at data from 529 respondents, who lived with 582 dogs and 402 cats owned or continuously cared for in the three previous years.

They found a level of attachment to most of the pets similar to that felt for human beings the respondents were close to, with only cats obtained as strays coming in very slightly below that level.

Cats and dogs adopted from shelters were as likely, or, in the case of cats, more likely to receive regular veterinary care. Most adopters were willing to spend a thousand dollars or more to treat a pet’s illness or injury, although that number was lower in the lowest-income zip code surveyed.

Freiwald, A., et al., Survey to investigate pet ownership and attitudes to pet care in metropolitan Chicago dog and/or cat owners. PREVET (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.03.025