Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1153841
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2019 MALTATODAY SURVEY PET owners overwhelmingly consider their animals like their children, the first-ever pet survey conducted by MaltaTo- day shows. The findings give a snapshot of the attitudes towards pets, with 46.3% of pet owners say- ing they will be willing to pay to have their pet cremated when it dies. The results show that wom- en are more likely than men to have a cat or a rabbit as a pet, while dogs and birds are more likely to have male own- ers. The survey shows that 54.9% of people have a pet at home. Dogs are the most popular pets with 39.5% saying they owned one, followed by cats and birds. The vast majority of those who do not have a pet cited lack of time as the main rea- son for not owning a pet. Who are Malta's pet owners? Pet owners account for more than half the voting age popu- lation with 54.9% of survey respondents saying they had a pet at home. Pet owners are a majority in all age groups bar those aged 65 and over, where 60.3% reported having no pets at home. The areas with the most pet owners are the Northern Har- bour and Western regions, where 58.6% and 57.9% re- spectively, reported having a pet. The South-Eastern region is the only one where the abso- lute majority (50.9%) have no pets. The results show there is no difference between men and women with 54.4% and 55.3% respectively, owning a pet. The numbers apply to pop- ulation, which means that people living in the same household are counted as in- dividuals, even though they may own the same pet at home. Which pets are most popular? Dogs are the most popu- lar pet, followed by cats and birds, according to the survey findings. There are 39.5% of people who have a dog at home, while 25.4% and 22.4%, respectively, have cats and birds. At some distance behind, 6.4% of people own an aquari- um with fish, while 5.1% have a pet rabbit. Other pet categories fall be- low the one per cent mark. While dogs are the most popular - followed by cats and birds - in all age groups up to 65, birds emerge as the most popular, followed by cats and dogs, among the elderly. This could be an indication of the level of commitment and expense required to own a dog, which could be too much for elderly people, who prefer the less intensive effort required to maintain birds. Dogs emerge as the most popular pet across all regions with the strongest presence in the South-Eastern region, where 45.2% of pet owners say they have a dog. Cats come in as the sec- ond most popular pet across all regions bar the Southern Harbour region, where they are eclipsed by birds. What is the monthly spend on pets? Half of pet owners spend up to €30 a month on their ani- mals, which would equate to €360 per year. This level of expenditure is predominant among the el- derly with 74.2% of those aged 65 and over reporting a €30 monthly expenditure. However, 37% of people spend double this amount – up to €60 a month – on their pets. This amount of expenditure is predomi- nant among those aged between 18 and 35, with 43.9% of this age cohort admitting to spending up to €60 a month. A n o t h e r 10.2% of people spend between €61 and €90 a month on their pet while a minority of 2.7% spend more than €90. In all regions bar one, the majority of pet owners spend up to €30 a month. In the South-Eastern region, the majority of pet own- ers (59.2%) spend between €31 and €60 a month. Willingness to pay for pet cremation A majority are willing to pay to cremate their pet when it dies, an indication of the ever-lasting bond that devel- ops between humans and ani- mals. The MaltaToday pet sur- vey found that 46.3% of pet owners will consider fork- ing out money to cremate their pet, as opposed to 31.7%, who will not consider this option. Another 22% are unsure. The willingness to pay for pet cremation is highest among those aged between 18 and 35 (53.9%). Across all age groups except those aged 65 and over, those who are will- ing to pay for cremation are a majority. Among the elderly, only a quarter are willing to pay for cremation, while an absolute majority (51.6%) are not. The will- A nation of pet lovers The first-ever MaltaToday survey on pets reveals a nation in love with its domestic animals. Kurt Sansone reports Do you have a pet at home? ALL M F 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec Secondary Tertiary 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 54.9% 45.1% 54.4% 45.6% 55.3% 44.7% 57.3% 42.7% 58.5% 41.5% 59.6% 40.4% 39.7% 60.3% 38.1% 61.9% 51.4% 48.6% 57.9% 42.1% 61.7% 38.3% Yes No How much do you spend on your pet in a month? All M F 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec Secondary Tertiary Gozo 50.0% 37.0% 10.2% 46.5% 37.8% 13.7% 53.6% 36.2% 6.7% 36.3% 43.9% 14.7% 49.2% 36.2% 11.3% 54.6% 38.6% 74.2% 19.5% 6.3% 71.5% 22.2% 6.3% 50.7% 41.5% 7.9% 55.8% 33.8% 8.0% 33.1% 45.2% 16.1% 56.4% 37.4% 6.2% Up to €30 Between €31 and €60 Between €61 and €90 More than €90 Do you have a pet at home? ALL M F 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec Secondary Tertiary 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 54.9% 45.1% 54.4% 45.6% 55.3% 44.7% 57.3% 42.7% 58.5% 41.5% 59.6% 40.4% 39.7% 60.3% 38.1% 61.9% 51.4% 48.6% 57.9% 42.1% 61.7% 38.3% Yes No How much do you spend on your pet in a month? All M F 18-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Post-Sec 50.0% 37.0% 10.2% 46.5% 37.8% 13.7% 53.6% 36.2% 6.7% 36.3% 43.9% 14.7% 49.2% 36.2% 11.3% 54.6% 38.6% 74.2% 19.5% 6.3% 71.5% 22.2% 6.3% 50.7% 41.5% 7.9% Up to €30 Between €31 and €60 Between €61 and €90 More than €90 Do you have a pet at home? How much do you spend on your pet in a month? MALTATODAY A nation of pet lovers