Results from the Purina Pet Survey:
National:
72% believe that pets can have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
25% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
26% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
66% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
31% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Male respondents:
67% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
24% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
25% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
64% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
21% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Female respondents:
77% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
25% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
27% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
68% said their pets boosts their self esteem.
41% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Northland:
78% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
11% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
28% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
61% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
50% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Auckland:
74% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
23% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
26% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
65% said their pet boosts their self-esteem.
32% said that their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Waikato:
64% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
24% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
21% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
67% said their pet boosts their self-esteem.
30% said that their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Bay of Plenty:
72% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
25% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
26% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
66% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
31% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
One respondent said their pet had warned them of a falling tree.
One respondent said that their pet senses when they are unhappy or not well, and comes to sit on them and comfort them.
Gisborne:
50% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
0% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
50% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
50% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
50% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Hawke’s Bay:
85% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
15% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
31% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
85% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
31% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Taranaki:
80% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
60% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
20% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
60% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
20% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Manawatu-Wanganui:
80% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
27% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
47% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
74% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
27% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
One respondent recalled a time when her pet grabbed her baby son by the nappy, to prevent him getting at a cup of hot
coffee.
One respondent said that their pet can sense when things are not quite right, and is there to comfort and keep them
company.
One respondent said that their pet will stay between the side of a patio and their baby when it is crawling, to keep it
from falling off.
One respondent said that when someone physically threatened his wife, his dog “suggested to him that it was a bad idea”.
Wellington (inc. Wairarapa):
74% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
24% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
22% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
59% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
22% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Tasman:
72% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
25% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
26% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
66% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
31% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Nelson:
80% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
60% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
0% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
60% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
60% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Marlborough:
33% believe that their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
0% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
33% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
67% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
33% said their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
Canterbury:
72% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
31% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
34% said their pet had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
79% said their pet boosts their self-esteem.
36% said that their pet communicates its feelings to them better than their partner does.
One respondent celebrates its pet’s birthday by making a birthday cake for the human members of the family to eat, and
the kids make it cards.
One respondent said that whenever they are sick or injured, their cat curls up beside them and purr loudly. This
respondent believes that a purr at the correct speed can aid in healing.
Another respondent reported of a time when their dog helped them: “When I was a child I was being attacked in a park by
some much older bullies, our pet dog at the time broke away from my mother who was on the other side of the reserve and
ran all the way to me and chased the bullies up a tree - without actually hurting them.”
Many of the Cantabrian respondents said that their pet forewarned them of the danger of the earthquake, and came looking
for them.
Otago:
72% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
25% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
26% said their pets had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
66% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
31% said their pet communicates its feeling to them better than their partner does.
Southland:
78% believe their pets have human-like emotions, such as love and empathy.
45% celebrate their pet’s birthday.
23% said their pets had steered them away from danger, or helped them in some way.
67% said their pet boosts their self esteem.
0% said their pet communicates its feeling to them better than their partner does.
ENDS