Pet Power!

We always had a dog when I was a kid, and even through most of my adult life there has been a pet of some kind around.I'm not a cat lover, but they seem to like me to the extent that they crawl on me and rub against my legs (unlike one of our dogs that used to do the nasty on my foot if it was dangling (my foot, that is). Anyway, domesticated animals are incredibly popular, and, in some cases, it would seem that they are more popular than, well, other people!
In a survey done in the U.K. by a site called My Social Petwork (really?), 1124 pet owners responded to a series of questions about the value they placed on their furry friends, and one might find at least some of the results surprising.

50% of the respondents preferred to hug their pets as opposed to a close relative (significant other?) when they were feeling down.

30% of those responding indicated that they spent at least 30 days a year caring for their pets.

25% noted that they felt their pet to be more "like a child" than "like an animal."

20% of them had cancelled social plans to be with their pets.

15% admitted that they confided in their pets.

7% recalled having cancelled a date to spend time with their pets.

4% had at one time or another called in sick to work because of the pets.

In a somewhat associated study done in this country, researchers found that stress levels at work dropped when someone brought a dog to work. Of course, dogs have long been used in nursing homes and other care facilities, and they do have a calming effect...but I don't think I would take one to work.

Pet 'em if you got 'em.