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Choosing to welcome a pet is not a decision that should be taken lightly, especially when you live as a couple. For good reason, dogs, cats and other furballs require a lot of attention, which can become a subject of contention with its +1.
What is the place of the animal within the couple?
A third of pet parents surveyed in a Catster* survey say they sometimes feel like their pet gets more love and attention than they do. But many respondents don’t mind their partner taking care of their cat or dog. Only 5% think they are in competition with their animal to obtain the total attention of their significant other.
Generally speaking, owners do not see their animal as a rival or a nuisance. Only 6% of respondents say that their little companion prevents them from taking time for themselves, or from sharing a moment of complicity with their romantic partner. Good news when we know to what extent pets can upset the balance established within the couple.
A reason for termination in certain cases
Cohabiting with an animal requires adjustments, especially when it lived with one of the members of the couple before the romantic encounter. The responsibilities involved in caring for the cat or dog can become a source of conflict within the couple. One spouse may, for example, be reluctant to do menial tasks such as emptying the cat’s litter box or taking the dog out in the rain.
In the long run, this can become a source of tension, or even a reason for rupture in the most extreme cases. One in ten French people have already ended a romantic relationship because their partner did not take enough care of their pet, according to a VetoCanis-Ifop survey dating from 2022.
It is therefore essential to discuss with your other half the place he or she is ready to give to the animal in his or her life, before taking the plunge of adoption or purchase. This will avoid many misunderstandings and disagreements.
But rest assured: getting a dog or a cat will not necessarily mean the end of your love life. For single people, it could even give it a real boost. Indeed, numerous surveys indicate that dogs and cats are real weapons of seduction. They would make their master or mistress much more attractive to other single people. To the wise.
*This Catster investigation was carried out among 1005 Americans aged 18 to 65, who own a dog and/or a cat. They are married or live as a couple with their spouse.
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