Women Majority Prefer Pets to Partners For those in the pet, pet accessories, and pet services businesses, here's a heads-up for your "behavioral targeting" strategies. According to a
study of pet owners by BizRate Research for Shopzilla, pampered pets are becoming women's priority vs. their partners.
The study reports that 56% of women feel that their pets are more
affectionate than their partner, while only 41% of men feel that way. And 45% of women think their pets are cuter than their partners, twice as many as men. In the study, women said they had a
deeper emotional connection with their pets than men did.
Other findings include:
- 73% of female pet owners report they are more inclined to date or marry
someone who also has a pet
- 72% of women pet owners report their pets make them happier than their jobs. (compared to only 60% of the men)
- Women are
inclined to spend about $50-$100 a month on their pet
- 39%% of women pet owners would consider taking their pet to a pet psychic, groomer or therapist
- 37%
of the female owners will consider a pet funeral (almost twice as many as men)
- The survey saw that 36% of women owners take their pets along with them to run errands such as
shopping or going to the hair salon
- 70% of female pet owners feel that their pets reflect their personality
In the past 10 years, the pet industry has
doubled in size to $34 billion a year in revenue, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturing Association), and the most registered dog breeds are Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and
German Shepherd says the American Kennel Club.