It is widely accepted that our pets can really have a positive impact on our wellbeing, but how well do they weigh up against our partner’s love? With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, a survey with 2,000 pet parent couples by Asda Money reveals all.

Whilst over half of Londoners favour their partner to their pet (57%), over a third preferred their pet over their partner, this sentiment was strongest in locations such as Greater London and Wales (37%).
One third of people living in London said they seek comfort from their pets instead of their partners when they feel sad. This was most prevalent amongst women in relationships, with 38 per cent seeking comfort from their cat or dog when they are feeling down.

This new research also found that men are the most likely to miss their partner when they are apart from them (67%), while women are the most likely to miss their cat or dog more (25%). This is maybe understandable, given that on average we spend around seven hours with our pets each day.

Good listening is often considered an important factor in a relationship. In the study it was discovered that a quarter of London pet owners state that their beloved cat or dog is a better listener than anyone they know.

People are also more likely to forgive their cat or dog for making a mess (44%) or eating loudly (24%) but find the same behaviour infuriating from their partner. When it comes to jealousy in a relationship, over half of Londoners (52%) said that their partner is envious of the attention they give their pet.

Alistair Ball, Head of Insurance at Asda Money, commented on the research findings, “Pets are always there for us during the ups and downs, and their owners rightly take comfort in the affection they show to them. Our pets provide us with company, emotional support and loyalty, many of the qualities that we also seek out in our partner.”