Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    It turns out that most people would pick their pet over their partner

    Jadie Troy-Pryde's avatar
    By Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Published 11 July 2019 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    pets animal
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Most of us like dogs more than we like other humans. Surprised? No, neither are we. They're always up for a cuddle and are always excited to see you - plus, they're brilliant for your mental health. One airport introduced therapy dogs to help nervous fliers, and this university is funding dog walking sessions for stressed out students.

    And our love for our pets knows no bounds. No, seriously. The majority of people would pick their pet over their partner according to new research.

    A study by Mattress Online found that 64% of people are more likely to choose their dog/cat/hamster over their significant other if the two don't get along.

    But for those of you who might be in a relationship with someone that falls into the above category, 80% of participants said that having an animal actually strengthened their relationship and communication and reduced stress levels. So it's not all bad.

    Slightly more surprising (maybe?) is the fact that half of those involved in the research admitted that they'd let their pet interrupt sex, and most of those surveyed said that their pet smelt better than their other half's breath. Lovely.

    You may like
    • Two women at the beach, friends spending the day together Trust Me, I'm a Behavioural Scientist—Friendships Are One of the Most Powerful Yet Overlooked Health Tools
    • AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot. AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
    • Health freelancer Anna Bartter treating friendship as a wellness habit: at a concert, at a bar, and with friends I Treated Friendship Like a Wellness Habit for Two Months—It Changed My Mental Health More Than I Expected

    But sleeping with a pet might not be the best idea, as it can disrupt sleep and stop you from getting a full eight hours. Even though science says it's better to sleep next to a dog than a human, but okay.

    'We only recommend sleeping with a pet if the mental health benefits outweigh the real risks associated with sleep loss,' said Steve Adams, CEO of Mattress Online.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The top three reasons that pets might stop you from getting enough kip is by taking up too much room, making loud noises and moving around the room.

    So are you happy to forgo a full night's sleep so that you can snuggle up to your pet? Is it all worth it for those pet cuddles?

    In short: always.

    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Social Links Navigation
    News Editor

    Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.

    Read more
    Two women at the beach, friends spending the day together
    Wellbeing Trust Me, I'm a Behavioural Scientist—Friendships Are One of the Most Powerful Yet Overlooked Health Tools
    AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot.
    Relationships AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
     
     
    Health freelancer Anna Bartter treating friendship as a wellness habit: at a concert, at a bar, and with friends
    Wellbeing I Treated Friendship Like a Wellness Habit for Two Months—It Changed My Mental Health More Than I Expected
    A woman tapping her head with two fingers; two nature images.
    Wellbeing 9 Low-Effort Wellness Habits That Could Give Your Body and Mind an Instant Boost
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    AI relationships: Woman lying in bed at night, looking at her smartphone while seeking relationship advice from a chatbot.
    Relationships AI Knows All Our Relationship Problems. Is That an Issue?
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
     
     
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Oestrogen skincare
    Skincare Can Oestrogen Really Reverse Skin Ageing? MC Investigates Beauty’s Next Hormonal Frontier
    Grey Blending hair colour trend
    Hair Grey Blending Is Changing the Way We Colour Our Hair—Here’s Everything You Need to Know
     
     
    Chanel shirts
    Fashion How Much is Too Much to Spend on a Shirt?
    women at yoga
    Wellbeing 'Selfish' Isn’t a Dirty Word: Why Putting Yourself First Could Be One of the Best Things You Do for Your Health
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.