Tesco Pet Insurance Points to rise in Women Claiming their Pet as a Companion

Over the years, pets (in this case dogs in particular) have carried out many role in society and as a result they have earned themselves the name of ‘man’s best friend’ – a phrase that transcends social, cultural and language barriers.

However, a Tesco Pet Insurance-commissioned study has found that 1 in 3 women consider their pet to be their best friend, which compares to 1 in 5 of men. Of the women consulted, they also found that 76% talk to their pets as though they were a human companion and 34% would prefer their pet’s company as opposed to a fellow human being.

Perhaps it should be made clearer that dogs are in fact ‘mankind’s best friend’ rather than simply ‘man’s best friend’? After all, the results suggest that fewer men actually consider their pet to be their closest companion.

The Press Release from Tesco Pet Insurance does not indicate the reasons as to why these results might have presented themselves. As such it can only be speculated as to why more women prefer the company of their pets.

However, one thing is certain – if people are feeling closer to their pets than ever, then perhaps they should ensure they have adequate pet insurance to cover the costs of emergencies.

They are thoughts echoed by Rachel Cutler, head of Tesco Pet Insurance: “Owning a pet can be a very rewarding experience – many people consider their cat or dog to be part of the family and even, as our research shows, their best friend. We also understand that it can be a costly experience.

“To enable pet owners to manage the costs of their pet insurance, our policies start from £4.50 a month for cats and £8.00 per month for dogs and we don’t change policy conditions as a customer’s pet gets older.”

Customers are, of course, urged to shop around for adequate cover. With many different pet insurance policies on the market, there are various different levels of cover available, all at differing prices. It means that research can make all of the difference in finding a pet insurance policy that suits the needs of the pet owner.

Source: Tesco Pet Insurance Press Release 2009

Tesco Pet Insurance Finds a Quarter of Pet Owners Take Their Pets into Holiday Consideration

Tesco Pet Insurance carried out a poll in May 2009 that found a quarter of British holidaymakers are taking their pets into consideration when heading away on their holiday breaks.

In particular, 1 in 4 dog owners are known to stay at home in the UK rather than head to a foreign destination, meaning that their canine companion can travel with them.

However, Tesco points out that in some cases, this might not be necessary as certain schemes allow pets to travel with owners throughout the EU.

The Pet Travel Scheme allowed over 46,000 pets to travel across the continent in 2008, with EU passports being administered to vets by the government.

Wherever dog owners plan to take their holiday, 83% of dog owners said leaving their pet behind in a kennel was out of the question, with 12% of those polled by Tesco Pet Insurance planning to take their pets with them.

The survey was conducted with One Poll towards the end of May 2009 with 4,000 British pet owners consulted as part of the poll.

Commenting on the results, the head of Tesco Pet Insurance Rachel Cutler said “As a nation of animal lovers, it is telling that a quarter of us organise our holidays around our pets.

“We’ve provided cover because our customers have told us they would like to share their holiday experience with their pets.”

However, pet owners thinking of taking advantage of rules allowing them to take their cats or dogs abroad must take certain steps. These include getting blood tests, treatment for ticks and tapeworms, vaccinations against rabies (and other conditions) and micro chipped. Owners must also ensure they have a PETS passport and have checked foreign import requirements for the location at hand.

“It may seem a daunting prospect, with health checks and a flight,” says Gillian Lewis of Airpets, “but more than a million pets fly safely world-wide each year. Pets travel comfortably in the livestock hold of direct passenger flights in kennels large enough for them to lie, stand and turn around in.

“Pet owners can pick up their pets after clearing customs.”

The study links to a recent Sainsbury’s Finance survey that found a large number of pet owners were leaving their pets at home for extended periods of time, causing behavioural problems. However, this study suggests that when taking holidays, British pet owners are taking care of their pets.

Source: Tesco Pet Insurance Press Release June 2009

Sainsbury’s Finance Outlines Growing Trends Concerning the Problems Pet Owners are Facing with their Cats and Dogs

A study carried out by Sainsbury’s Finance has shown that around 3.35 million cat and dog owners around the United Kingdom have been experiencing problems with their pets’ behaviour between July 2008 and July 2009.

There are various theories as to why pets are acting out in certain ways, but a similar study recently brought attention to the growing number of pets that are being left at home on their own for extended periods of time. Though dogs left alone for 4 hours or less a day is not frowned upon, some owners have been known to leave them for 8 hours or more, which Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance warns could cause behavioural problems.

Many of the behavioural conditions that Sainsbury’s Finance has witnessed in regards to the study were moodiness (accounting for 5%), aggression (at 2%), loss of appetite (at 2%) and depression (at 1%). There are also significant numbers of cats and dog acting out by causing destruction to furniture, with 1.3 million pet owners accounting for this, whilst 915,000 acted with nervousness or timidity.

Naturally, this means that many pets are requiring veterinary treatments for a variety of reasons, which is why people are highly encouraged to seek an adequate Pet Insurance policy to cover the costs. Whilst some pet owners are put off by high prices, there are pet insurance policies out there that suit various needs and do not have to be expensive to cover adequate ground.

The study highlighted the area of the UK most affected with behavioural problems as Yorkshire and Humberside, with the Eastern region of the UK least affected.

Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager, Joanne Mallon, commented on the results: “The current economic climate is placing a lot of people under increased stress, and unfortunately this anxiety can have an adverse effect on the household’s pets. 

“Cats and dogs can be very sensitive to their owner’s feelings and behaviour so changes in mood such as irritability, distress or remoteness could be sensed and leave the animal themselves, agitated or depressed.”  

Source: Sainsbury’s Finance Press Release July 2009

Sainsbury’s Finance Highlights 3.8 million Missing Cats and Dogs Over 5 Years

Continuing to highlight problems facing pet owners in the UK, Sainsbury’s Finance has highlighted the rising numbers of missing pet dogs and cats across the British Isles, whilst encouraging pet owners to take out a to cover associated costs.

With the large number of missing animals over the last 5 years amounting to 3.8 million, Sainsbury’s Finance points out, in their study, that of all those who have owned a cat during this period,12% have experienced them going missing at some point, with 4% of dog owners suffering a similar fate.

Of these, a little over half of animals reported missing during this period were returned alive, with 32% claiming that the pet was never seen again and 14% reporting that they turned up deceased.

Of the remaining 45% of pet owners whose pets were returned alive, there were various circumstances that accounted for this, with some saying their cat or dog returned on its own, some saying they found them and a further percentage claiming that a third party returned their beloved animal to them.

Many people seem not to realise how far reaching pet insurance policies are in these situations. Whilst most people are aware that veterinary costs can be covered by such policies, as well as other factors, it should also be highlighted that some pet insurance policies cover the costs associated with missing animals. In most cases this amounts to advertising costs in the search effort and compensation for pets unreturned.

However Lucy Hunter, Sainsbury’s Finance Pet Insurance Manager points out that “not all pet insurance polices recognise the importance of providing support in the form of advertising or reward benefits to owners who have lost their pet”.

This highlights the need to shop around for a pet insurance policy that suits the areas the individual thinks are necessary.

It also highlights various methods that pet owners can undertake to ensure their pet is safe, with Sainsbury’s Finance recommending micro-chipping pets, ensuring they wear a collar or ID, securing property boundaries, supervising animals, using a dog walker and varying routes on walks.

With these steps, we could one day see the figures for lost or stolen animals declining.

Source: Sainsbury’s Finance Press Release May 2009