While four in five (78%) owners see their cat or dog as being a part of the family, over half of those polled (54%) even went as far to say their pet is more beneficial to their life and wellbeing than other humans, illustrating just how ingrained in our lives they have become.

So what are some of the positive ways pets are affecting people's everyday lives?

  • Over a third of Britons (37%) say pets inject a sense of humour into their day-to-day lives;
  • Almost half (45%) say they help reduce stress;
  • Over a third (34%) say they make them feel needed by offering a sense of companionship;
  • Two in five owners (41%) say having a pet keeps them fit and healthy; and
  • One in 10 (13%) admitted that owning a dog or cat makes them more sociable through the organising of play dates and the sharing of photos online.

The new research has been released as part of the launch of the MORE TH>N Future of Pet Ownership Report which assesses the state of the nations' pets - including their health and wellbeing, role in society and human attitudes to their animals, following a survey of more than 10,000 cat and dog owners.

The report however explores a tendency among those who see their dog or cat as more beneficial to their lives than humans as often being guilty of over-humanising and indulging their pet, which can have real implications for the overall wellbeing of an animal, in a trend experts are calling 'killing them with kindness'.

So what are some of the ways we can be seen to be over-humanising our pets?

The report states that over over nearly six million pets are given treats as part of their daily diet, including crisps, cake, leftovers of human food, cheese, chips and takeaways. This however is leading to overweight animals, with the MORE TH>N survey revealing that 30% of dog owners and 18% of cat owners think their pet is overweight, which can have negative repercussions for their long-term health.

Andrew Moore, director of pet claims, MORE TH>N said:

'As a vet I have seen in real life what our report talks about with people coming to rely on their pets more and more - for their happiness and companionship. There is no doubt we love our pets, but the real kindness we should show is to keep our pets healthy and happy and that means keeping them the right weight. Obesity has such a negative impact on them not only making them more vulnerable to certain illnesses, but also impeding their recovery when they are ill or get injured.'

The research also showed that behaviour is another area of concern, with a lack of socialisation of cats and dogs at an early age leading to aggressive traits towards both other animal and humans.

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RSA Insurance Group plc published this content on 09 April 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 09 April 2018 10:05:01 UTC