One in three people are not having sex with their partner because of pets sleeping in their bed and more than one in four don’t even sit with their partner on the sofa because their pet takes up too much room.
As part of their preparation for having a pet, 71% of Brits set clear ground rules such as their furry friend won’t be allowed upstairs, on the bed or near the dining table when families eat.
But how long do these rules last and who really rules the roost at home once our pet walks through the door?
New research by pet food brand Webbox has shown that a quarter (25%) of owners disregarded their own rules when their animal companion arrived home, stating that they would even give up room in their bed to ensure that their pet is comfortable.
GROUND RULES
The research shows that 63% of those who set ground rules will eventually break them, with more than a third letting pets upstairs (40%) and in the bedroom (36%) after saying they wouldn’t be allowed.
A third (35%) of those who broke their ‘no pets on the furniture’ rule have since had furniture ruined because of their furry friend’s claws, and more than one in six (18%) Brits have had arguments over who is responsible for the pet at home.
Over a quarter (26%) of Brits that decided to put rules in place break them within one week – and one in eight (14%) disregard them on the very first day that their pet arrives home! One in five (22%) who disregarded ground rules went as far as to admit that their pet rules the roost and is in charge at home.
Camille Ashforth, senior brand manager at Webbox, said: “Here in the UK we love our pets. We may all have good intentions about where they can and can’t go before they arrive home, but it’s clear for many Brits that once their beloved pet steps through the door, most of those rules go out of the window!”
