Who knew true love would be short, hairy, and have bad breath?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
We all know someone who loves their fur babies more than they love people. They have sweaters that say so. But do pets really make people happy, or do happy people just get pets?
Michael Gmeiner and team wanted to find out!
They surveyed over seven hundred pet owners about life satisfaction. Then they compared the study group’s pet joy to their most exciting life events.
And? Cats and dogs make people nearly as happy as getting married or earning an extra ninety thousand dollars! Vet bills and all!
I mean…wouldn’t you rather receive the gift of true pet love… all over the carpet?
Reference: Gmeiner, M. W., & Gschwandtner, A. (2025). The value of pets: The quantifiable impact of pets on life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03574-1