They say a dog is a man’s best friend and new research from More Th>n pet insurance shows the attachment men have with their pets appears to be greater than that of their female counterparts.
The study among British pet owners found that over 13% of men have taken a week or more off work to get over the upset caused by a pet going missing or being stolen, compared to just 5% of women.
Men are also more likely to cancel social engagements due to a pet going missing (15%) compared to women (12%) – and 6% of men have even gone as far as cancelling special celebrations such as birthdays and weddings.
No one is immune to the pain of a lost or stolen pet. High profile celebrities such as Paris Hilton, who was distraught when her pet chihuahua Tinkerbell went missing and Jesse James who was inconsolable when his adorable four legged friend Cinnabun suddenly disappeared last year have both suffered stress from a lost pet.
Pete Markey, Head of Insurance at More Th>n, said: “People who own pets are often very attached to them and coping with their sudden disappearance can often be akin to losing a family member. This seems to be the case for men especially, with the impact of a missing pet taking its toll emotionally.”
In addition, men are prepared to spend more on trying to find their pet, with almost 20% willing to spend between £100 and £1,000 for the safe return of an animal, compared to just 14% of women.
However, the findings also reveal a third of pet owners do not invest in pet insurance, which can help ease the financial costs associated with finding a pet.
Leading chartered psychologist, Beverly Stone said: “These findings highlight the inherent differences between men and women. Whereas women tend to fear for the potential loss of their pet when it goes missing and mourns the loss if their pet dies, a man not only experiences a similar fear and mourning but may also feel a strong sense of responsibility.
“As a consequence, they are likely to feel that they have failed to protect their pet. Men need more time to get over the guilt, and they would not want to be exposed to people asking what happened in social events, if they feel responsible”.
Source : More Th>n Press Release
