iStock/supersizer(NEW YORK) — Your dog or cat doesn’t know why you’ve been working home since the COVID-19 pandemic demanded it, but they’re sure happy about the extra face time — and chances are you are, too.
In fact, according to a new survey, 20% of people working from home say they prefer working alongside their dog or cat more than any human colleague they used to work with.
The non-scientific poll of 1,000 remote workers commissioned by Washington State-based Banfield Animal Hospital also shows that spending more time with their pet has boosted worker happiness at home: 39% credit pets with easing their anxiety during the pandemic, and 65% say they’ve shown their pets more affection during lockdown.
For most pets, that’s translating into treats: 33% of pet owners working from home say their furry friends have gained weight during the quarantine time, much as many of their human companions have.
Thirty-three percent of respondents say they feel more attuned to their pets than they did prior to the lockdowns, with 38% saying they’ve found their pets appear to be happier than before.
The poll also noted that 47% of millennials admitted to getting emotional support from their pets, as opposed to 43% of those in the older Gen Z group, and the 43% in the older still Gen Xers.
In fact, 47% of pet owners say they’re talking to their pets more than they did before the pandemic, with cat owners doing so more often than dog owners, 51% vs 47%. Women tended to talk to their pets more often than men, with 50% admitting to doing so, but men weren’t far behind, at 47%.
Perhaps no surprise then that 73% of those workers say they’re worried about leaving their pets at home when they eventually have to return to the office.
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