There was a great article in the Huffington Post this week about people who choose not to have pets.
The writer, Joan Liebmann, wondered if and how people without pets differ from those who do. Her research turned up some very interesting information!
For one thing, there are way more people with pets than without: a recent survey found that 62% of homes have pets (the data actually comes, not from the AVMA, but from the American Pet Products Association, who conducts an annual survey)
It also turns out that people with pets are more likely to be white, married, have children, work full-time, and earn more money. This sort of person is also more likely to own a home–which, as renters know, is far more conducive to having a pet!
According to the article, “People may choose not to have a pet for any number of reasons: they may have never had a pet and can’t imagine having one, or they may have previously had a pet and didn’t like the experience. They may like pets — especially other people’s pets — but have no interest in having one of their own. Or they may dislike pets, believing that they are dirty, dangerous and disease-spreading. Whatever their reasons, they’re probably happy with their decision — or they would get a pet.” The writer also suggests that petless people may actually think of themselves as “pet-free” — they may be quite happy to not have the responsibilities of taking care of a pet.
There is much more to the article — it’s really worth taking a look at yourself! Click here to read the full article.