Working from home has some major perks, including spending more time with pets. According to a new survey of 2-thousand pet owners conducted by OnePoll on behalf of PetMeds, on average, they start to miss their pets after only 37 minutes of being apart. They also think about their pet around 13 times a day.
That’s part of the reason four in 10 pet parents say they’d be willing to take a pay cut in order to work from home and be with their pets. Over the last two years, 42% have noticed a change in their pet’s mental health and behavior, with 52% seeing an increase in separation anxiety in their pet in that time.
- Two-thirds of pet owners report that their pets react strongly when they leave for work, with 48% following them to the door and looking sad, 33% whining and 22% pacing around and seeming anxious.
- Top concerns pet parents have when they’re away from their furry friends include loneliness or boredom (52%), separation anxiety (44%), access to food and water (36%) and health issues or emergencies (33%).
- To stay connected to their pet while at work, 41% arrange for a loved one to check on their pet and 31% use a pet camera to peek in on their pet’s activities.
- The most common ways people calm their pet’s anxiety include petting or cuddling (72%), playing with them (54%), offering treats or food (50%), giving them a cozy, relaxing space (42%) and playing music (20%).
- To reconnect with their pets, people like to play with them (64%), talk to them (62%), give treats or rewards (61%), cuddling (58%), go out for walks (44%) and train or teach them new things (20%).
Source: SWNS Digital