NEW YORK — It’s a classic trope for the concerned parent to tell their excited child that getting a pet will be “a lot of work.” It turns out mom and dad may have been right after all. A new survey finds the average pet owner spends 832 hours each year cleaning up after their pets.
Put together by Trane Heating and Air Conditioning, the survey of 2,000 pet owners also finds three in four say they clean their homes constantly ever since getting a furry friend.
Predictably, 64 percent of respondents told researchers they always clean their pets after going outside to avoid muddy paws ruining the carpet. Moreover, 75 percent have even put shoes on their companion just to avoid making a mess!
The weather can influence cleaning decisions quite a bit as well. Seven in 10 pet owners say they tend to clean more often whenever it’s raining or snowing. As you can probably imagine, constant cleaning can get old pretty quick. Over half the poll (63%) admit they will sometimes purposely keep their pets inside to avoid any messy situations.
Love me, love my pet — or else!
One’s relationship with their pet can even complicate matters of the heart. Two in three respondents say it would be a deal breaker if a potential mate didn’t help out with some pet-related cleaning around the house. Another 68 percent say they’d instantly break up with anyone who didn’t get along with their dog or cat. Similarly, 62 percent would find it hard to date someone who doesn’t play with their pet as much as they would like.
All in all, it’s clear that pet owners consider their smaller companions an important part of their lives. In fact, 73 percent would keep their pet even if they suddenly woke up and were allergic to dogs or cats one day. On a related note, 49 percent have in fact been diagnosed with a pet allergy.
When it comes to allergies, 45 percent of pet owners are happy to put up with some sneezing. Another 28 percent wouldn’t sweat developing an allergy-related rash and 31 percent would handle some muscles aches just to keep their pet.
The survey was conducted by OnePoll.