Women miss their pets more than their partners whilst on a holiday. Tejasvi Desai tells you some surprising facts about this special bond that women share with their furry friends
Even though dogs are a man’s best friend, it’s women who go barking mad for their dogs when they’re on holiday. A recent survey by global travel search site, Skyscanner, has revealed that women who own dogs miss their pets more than their partners, friends or family when they are away. Market development manager for Skyscanner-India, Kavitha Gnanamurthy, says, “Our survey adds a twist to the saying about dogs being man’s best friends as it proves otherwise. Dogs are considered to be part of the family, so it’s understandable that women miss them when they are away on holiday.”
Skyscanner surveyed over 1,000 dog owners and found that while 37% men would miss their partners the most if they were on holiday without them, the same doesn’t hold true for women. Only 21% of the women who took part in the survey said they would miss their partners the most, while a shocking 37% put their favourite pooch first.
The bond doesn’t limit them to missing their pets while on vacation. Dog owners even go to great lengths to keep in touch with their pets while on holiday. As many as 40% of them have called or texted to check whether their pet was fine, while 14% have admitted to ‘chatting’ with their dog over the phone so that it can hear their voice. 5% have taken the grief of temporary separation to a new level by having a holiday Skype ‘conversation’ with their dog. We think it’s time Apple came out with something on the lines of an iBone for the ladies to stay in touch with their precious pets.
For those still living it up the old school way, 6% of dog owners have actually penned postcards for their dogs. It has even become a common practice for vacationers to carry a photograph of their pet on their holiday. A shocking 3% of dog owners have cut their hard earned holiday short and returned home early as they missed their dogs too much.
With owners, especially women, not wanting to be separated from their pets, it is perhaps not surprising as over half of holidaymakers plan breaks ensuring their pets aren’t home alone. One in five dog owners have never been away without them and 20% claim the company of any pet would be ideal on their holiday, more so than their friends or even children.