Working from home has some major perks, including spending more time with pets. According to a new survey of 2-thousand pet owners, on average, they start to miss their pets after only 37 minutes of being apart. They also think about their pet around 13 times a day.
That’s part of the reason four in 10 pet parents say they’d be willing to take a pay cut in order to work from home and be with their pets. Over the last two years, 42% have noticed a change in their pet’s mental health and behavior, with 52% seeing an increase in separation anxiety in their pet in that time.
- Two-thirds of pet owners report that their pets react strongly when they leave for work, with 48% following them to the door and looking sad, 33% whining and 22% pacing around and seeming anxious.
- Top concerns pet parents have when they’re away from their furry friends include loneliness or boredom (52%), separation anxiety (44%), access to food and water (36%) and health issues or emergencies (33%).
- To stay connected to their pet while at work, 41% arrange for a loved one to check on their pet and 31% use a pet camera to peek in on their pet’s activities.
- The most common ways people calm their pet’s anxiety include petting or cuddling (72%), playing with them (54%), offering treats or food (50%), giving them a cozy, relaxing space (42%) and playing music (20%).
- To reconnect with their pets, people like to play with them (64%), talk to them (62%), give treats or rewards (61%), cuddling (58%), go out for walks (44%) and train or teach them new things (20%).
Source: SWNS Digital