Women Who Love Their Pet More Than Their Partner

Over half turn to their pet for comfort after a row with their other half and 39 per cent seek affection from their pet when they get no attention from their man

One in ten women claim they love their pet more than their partner, a study revealed today.

Nearly a third of 2,000 women polled said they have equal affection for their pet and husband or boyfriend.

Over half turn to their pet for comfort after a row with their other half and .

So it is not surprising that 81 per cent of women consider their pets as part of the family, the poll by animal welfare charity the Brooke found.

In fact 14 per cent of women even said they were considering getting a tattoo of their pet's name.

A spokeswoman for the Brooke animal charity said: 'It's heart-warming to learn how loved the nation's pets are.

'Even the most perfect relationships have off- days so you can understand how women might love their pets just that little bit more after a disagreement with their partner.

'Perhaps a frustration for women is also that they expect less of their pets but are still rewarded with endless affection and loyalty.

Pets can't answer back with sarcastic comments or moan about the state of the house so it's easy to have a blissful relationship with a pet, which can't always been said of human relationships.'

And 38 per cent of women said there would be a bitter custody battle over the pet if they were to ever split up with their partner as in 54 per cent of cases the animal is jointly owned.

Eighteen per cent of couples said they often row over the animals in the house.

But 40 per cent said their pet never annoys them and more than half said it would be a 'deal-breaker' if a partner did not get on with their pet.

The study found a third of females let their pet sleep on their bed and 16 per cent let them sleep IN the bed.

Four in ten confess to regularly rewarding their pet with treats and 17 per cent will lavish them with presents on Christmas Day.

A spokeswoman for the Brooke added: 'As Brits, we are a nation of animal-lovers and these results show that the bond we share with our pets is very strong indeed.

'We know from our work in some of the poorest communities in the world that this bond transcends culture, age and economic background.

Dailymail.co.uk