Your Husband or Your Crocodile? Pets v Partners Debate Goes On

Several papers carried a report last week of the Australian woman who chose her pet crocodile over her husband.

Though an extreme example, this preference of pets over partners isn’t as uncommon as you might think. We recently ran a facebook survey asking if people preferred their pets to their partners – and the majority of respondents confirmed they did, writes Elaine Pendlebury, Senior Veterinary Surgeon at the PDSA.

Our pets, it seems, are regarded by many as more loyal, loving, trusted, cute and loveable. They give us unconditional love and are always there for us. On the other hand, some respondents did comment that, despite all this, pets can be demanding and ‘messy’.

So there we have it. Pets are preferred to partners. But as we at PDSA are at pains to point out, pets are a big responsibility and ownership should not be undertaken lightly. We would always recommend that people do thorough research before getting one, to make sure they can offer what a chosen pet type or breed would need.

Looking after a crocodile is very specialised and therefore a dog seems far more suitable! But that’s not always the case. If you don’t particularly like going out in all weathers, it might be better if you got a cat or a small furry pet. Whatever your circumstances, PDSA’s online tool, ‘Your Right Pet’, on www.your-right-pet.org.uk can help you make the best choice for you – and your partner!

To find out more about PDSA, visit our website at www.pdsa.org.uk