Study shows more women are treating their pets like children

New research shows that more British woman than ever are treating their pets like children. They buy them toys and treats, carry around photos of them, and dress them in clothing.

A survey conducted by Petplan insurance, as part of the Petplan Census, questioned more than 10,000 pet owners across the UK. Scotland on Sunday reported that 75 per cent of the women surveyed said they bought their pets birthday and Christmas gifts, and a quarter of them have adapted their home to make is more suitable for their pet. Eighty-two per cent of those surveyed admitted that they fed their pets things like cheese, crisps and cake; and 18 per cent of them were told their pets were overweight. Three quarters of the woman experienced feelings such as worry and guilt about leaving their pets home alone, or with pet care providers, while they were working. "For some owners, notably women, pets can provide a useful training ground for motherhood, in some cases helping to shape important decisions on whether or not children are to be a part of their future,” Dr Deborah Wells, senior psychology lecturer at Queens University in Belfast and an expert in the study of the psychology of the pet-human relationship, told Scotland on Sunday. “For others, pets can serve as a child substitute, offering people who choose not to have children, or those who can't conceive, an outlet for emotional attachment and nurturing behaviour." A woman from Inverness told the paper that she and her husband not take holidays within the UK, instead of foreign holidays, because they missed the dog too much when they were away.