Ava Williams
In autumn and winter – when the sky is often overcast and the days are getting shorter – this also affects the mood. Many people suffer from feelings of loneliness, especially in the cold season. But those who have a dog or other pets are less affected than people who live without a pet. At least that is the result of a representative online survey by the Bremen opinion research institute “The ConsumerView” (TCV).
“89.9 percent of those surveyed stated that living with a pet reduces feelings of loneliness,” says TCV Managing Director Uwe Friedemann.
While 93.3 percent of dog owners and 97.7 percent of cat owners agreed with this result, aquarium enthusiasts outperformed all other survey groups in their belief in the loneliness-reducing effect of pets: “97.9 percent of ornamental fish owners credit pets with a positive effect on feelings of loneliness too,” says Friedemann.
But those who keep rabbits (89.6 percent) or ornamental birds (93 percent) also find pets to be effective medicine against the feeling of loneliness. And even people who live without pets largely agree with this statement: 78.4 percent of those surveyed believe that living with pets reduces feelings of loneliness.
For single people, dogs are often a substitute for the missing contact person. But dealing with dogs is also very important for other people. By keeping these animals, they are trained to be more loving with them and perhaps also in dealing with other people.