Paw-some Parenting: 1/4 of California couples are choosing pet parenthood over kids, reveals survey.

• Research identifies where pet owning couples are prioritizing pet parenthood.
• California pet owners would take 3 unpaid days off work to care for their sick pet.
• This equates to an income loss of over $330.
• Over half of Californians prioritize their pets’ diets over their own.
• Interactive map included comparing results across the U.S.

Pet Parenting 101: Gone are the days where people kept their pups outside, feeding them leftovers as treats from the dinner table. Today, an increasing number of pet owners across America are going above and beyond to make sure their pets live the best lives possible. From feeding their furry friends organic diets and throwing birthday parties, to taking unpaid paw-ternity leave, and even putting off having children to care for their pets first, people are integrating their animals into their lives more than ever… 
Innovet Pet – a leading producer of pet supplies – conducted a survey of 3,800 pet owners, which revealed that nearly a quarter (24%) of young pet owning couples in California say they are prioritizing their pets over (human) parenthood. In fact, in states such as Louisiana - more than half of couples who own pets (56%) would prefer to parent pets, over babies. This is perhaps unsurprising given how time consuming it is to care for a pet!
The study also revealed that the average pet owner would actually take 4 unpaid days off work to care for a sick pet – that’s nearly a whole working week, and the equivalent to a loss of $404.46 from the average American’s salary*.
When these results were broken down, it was found that California pet owners would take 3 days off, costing themselves a substantial $333.52 of their income. However, Pennsylvanians were most prepared to sacrifice their vacation allowance, with the average respondent saying they would take up to 6 days off, and a $717.89 cut to their salary to look after their animal!
The survey also discovered that men were willing to take slightly more time off work than women – 3.8 days compared to 3.5.
To see how responses differ across the country, check out this interactive map: https://www.innovetpet.com/blogs/recent-articles/pet-parenting (click on ‘embed’ to host).




Paw-some parenting? It’s interesting to note the extent that Americans treat their pets as if they are human, even putting their animal’s dietary needs above their own in some cases. Innovet Pet sought to discover if owners consider the health benefits of their pet’s food more than their own, and found that overall, more than half (57.1%) of Californians who have pets admitted to this! Indeed, 1/4 admit to feeding their pets according to specialized diets, such as vegan or vegetarian meals. This demonstrates that people are looking into holistic, natural approaches to pet health and wellbeing.
Additionally, the survey found that a quarter of pet owners here say they confide their personal problems with their pet, and over a third (38%) even say they are closer to their pets than they are to some family members.
A further 6% video chat with their pets and even admit to having shared a bath with them! 1 in 10 respondents say they kiss their pet goodbye on the lips and, perhaps unsurprisingly, over half (56%) allow their pets to sleep next to them at night.
‘Today, it appears people are increasingly treating their pets as human companions’ says David Louvet, CEO of  Innovet Pet. ‘It is overwhelming and heartwarming to see how far Americans would go to ensure the health and wellbeing of their pet companions!’
*Calculated using the average per capita income for each state.
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