People without pets also felt satisfied with their lives.
For the first time in a national sociological survey in the United States in 2018, respondents were asked about pet ownership. This allowed for the identification of differences in the perception of happiness between dog and cat owners, reports NDTV. It turned out that the level of life satisfaction among pet owners and those without pets was virtually indistinguishable. However, there was a noticeable contrast between dog owners and cat lovers: dog owners were twice as likely to report feeling 'very happy.'
At the same time, cat owners showed results that were even slightly worse than those of people who do not have pets at all. Experts explain this difference by the influence of accompanying factors: for example, dog owners are more likely to be married and own their homes, which may also enhance their sense of well-being.
