Dog
When thinking about whether or not to get a pet, there are many considerations to take on board; can I afford to keep a pet, do I have enough time to give it the attention it needs, do I mind cleaning up after it? Whilst these are all very important things to consider and should not be brushed aside in a spare of the moment decision, there are also many benefits from keeping a pet that most people aren’t aware of.
There’s no denying it, pets are cute, there’s even a study stating that worker’s productivity increases when they are looking at cute pictures of animals! But as well as being adorable, pets can offer many health benefits, both physically and mentally. There is evidence to show that as well as being able to sniff out illegal substances, like drugs, dogs can also sniff out cancerous cells, detect low blood pressure in diabetics, and even certain allergens (like peanuts). This means that dogs can alert you when there is something that could seriously affect your health - a dog’s nose is so powerful that it could literally save your life! Dogs can’t take all the limelight though as studies also show that stroking a cat reduces stress levels and helps you live longer. There are also emotional benefits to having pets too as studies show that children who are brought up with a pet from infancy have improved social skills as taking care of a pet helps them learn about responsibility and routine.
So it’s settled, pets are awesome - 44% of households own a pet! But what is Britain’s most popular pet? You might think that cats or dogs would take the top spot but surprisingly there are currently between 40-50 million fish in the UK (both indoor and outdoor). Fish are arguably the easiest pets to care for; they are low maintenance and only require daily feeding if you have an automatic tank or pond cleaner. However, we must realise that these statistics apply per fish, and the odds of a household having just one fish are very slim, most have several! Fishy business aside, dogs and cats take the next two spots with ease with 23% of British households owning at least one dog and 19% owning at least one cat. There are thought to be approximately 7.5 million cats and 6.8 million dogs in the UK.
Following them are rabbits, guinea pigs and caged birds like parrots and budgies, which are all thought to be at around one million. Another surprisingly high entry is that of domestic fowl. That’s right, there are as many chickens kept as pets as there are hamsters with both of them treading the half a million mark. Lizards are the most popular reptile at 300,000, with snakes, toads and frogs following at 200,000. Rats are the next common rodent, also at 200,000 and gerbils succeed them at 100,000 along with newts and salamanders, ponies and horses, and also pigeons! The number of people who keep mice as pets is thought to be below 100,000 as is the number of people who keep insects. Clearly Britain’s fear of mice hasn’t improved!
Do you think pets are amazing? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
By Sophie Atherton @SophAthers
Tagged in Pets