Parship, a trusted dating platform, surveyed over 1,700 singles to explore how pets influence their romantic lives. Among respondents, 37% own a pet, with single women leading at 44% compared to 27% of single men.
Pet owners are generally open-minded: 41% say a date disliking their pet isn't a dealbreaker, while 52% say it depends on the animal. Just 7% rule out dates with pets entirely.
Three-quarters of pet owners accept partners uninterested in animals, provided their pet is respected. Notably, 16% seek equally animal-loving matches, and 4% would even rehome their pet for love.
When two pet owners connect but their animals clash, only 2.5% end the relationship. Another 4% insist the partner rehome theirs. Strikingly, 26% of men would sacrifice their own pet, versus 8% of women. Overall, 67% prefer a LAT (living apart together) arrangement to keep both pets happy. Additionally, 10% of non-owners expressed interest in getting a pet.
In 2015, cats topped the list at 57% among pet-owning singles, especially women. Dogs followed closely at 45%, fish at 8%, rodents and birds at 3% each, reptiles at 1%, and spiders at 0.6%.
