Relationship between Pet Ownership, Pet Attachment and Decision to Have Children among Single People in the United States: A Need for Flexible Child Care Facilities in the United States

Abstract

Research has found that as pet ownership increases, fertility declines in the United States. Many single people have lost interest in growing families due to high cost of child care and lack of time. Other people speculate that it is easier to manage pets than children and pets give them more freedom than children. The main objective of this research therefore was to find out through Bowlby's attachment theory the extent to which preference to pet relates with other variables like pet attachment, security, loss, care and communication. The researcher developed six hypotheses and two research questions. Survey samples of 274 respondents were collected through Qualtrics using Amazon Mturk as recruitment platform. Ethical approval was gotten from an institute's review board. Studies show significant connection between pet attachment, pet security but show no significance to pet preference as many of the participants still prefer to have children. However, there is a need for government's intervention in terms of improving care for both pets and children.

Human allergy to cats: A review of the impact on cat ownership and relinquishment

“…Most studies suggest that the primary reasons both cats and dogs are kept as pets is for companionship and affection, 12 - 17 with a large proportion of cat and dog owners (typically 70-90% or more) regarding their pet as a family member and exhibiting a strong human-animal bond. 12 , 16 , 18 - 24 Although not always the case, many studies have also found positive associations between pet ownership and improved physical and mental health in owners, 16 , 19 , 20 , 25 - 33 with evidence that a greater attachment to a cat may lead to greater health benefits.…”

“…10 Similarly, a Growth from Knowledge Survey published in 2016 found that in 8/22 (36%) countries surveyed, there were a higher number of cat-owning households than dog-owning households. 11 Most studies suggest that the primary reasons both cats and dogs are kept as pets is for companionship and affection, [12][13][14][15][16][17] with a large proportion of cat and dog owners (typically 70-90% or more) regarding their pet as a family member and exhibiting a strong human-animal bond. 12,16,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Although not always the case, many studies have also found positive associations between pet ownership and improved physical and mental health in owners, 16,19,20,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] with evidence that a greater attachment to a cat may lead to greater health benefits.…”