{"id":15586,"date":"2022-05-25T11:06:11","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T15:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=15586"},"modified":"2022-05-25T11:06:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T15:06:11","slug":"survey-finds-gen-z-adults-prefer-pets-over-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2022\/05\/survey-finds-gen-z-adults-prefer-pets-over-kids","title":{"rendered":"Survey Finds Gen Z Adults Prefer Pets Over Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Generation Z may bring on a \u201cfur-baby boom\u201d since most of them don\u2019t want to have kids. A new poll reveals that seven in 10 young adults in Gen Z would adopt a pet rather than have their own children.<\/p>\n

Gen Z adults aren\u2019t the only ones choosing pets over people; millennials are also. In a survey of 1,000 pet owners commissioned by\u00a0ConsumerAffairs, researchers found that 57 percent of millennials love their pets more than their siblings. Half of them said the same thing about their mother, and 30 percent chose a pet\u00a0over their significant other.<\/p>\n

Overall, 81 percent of millennial pet owners say they love their pet more than at least one family member, more than baby boomers (77%) or Generation X respondents (76%). Interestingly, cat owners (85%) were slightly more likely to choose their pet over a relative than dog owners (83%).<\/p>\n

Although more millennials say they\u2019d rather be \u201cpeople parents\u201d than Gen Zers, 58 percent still say they\u2019d rather own a furry friend than become a parent. For comparison, only 48 percent of Gen Xers prefer\u00a0a child-free life.<\/p>\n

\"pets\"<\/a>
Ron Lach\/Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to taking care of our furry companions, millennials spend more than any other group to keep them healthy. On average, millennial pet owners budget $216 a month for their pets and spend roughly $198. Gen X adults-only budget $161 and pay $141 each month on pet care.<\/p>\n

For more significant medical issues, 60 percent of millennials are \u201cvery\u201d or \u201cextremely\u201d confident in their ability to\u00a0afford life-saving treatment\u00a0for their pets. For those who can\u2019t, one in four said they would sell their car if it meant saving their furry friend.<\/p>\n

Nearly half (49%) would pick up a second job to pay off their pet\u2019s bills, and 46 percent would start a GoFundMe page. Another 43 percent would sell their television, and 41 percent would sell their laptop. The survey also revealed that some states are\u00a0more pet-friendly than others, with Maine ranking as the top place for pet parents in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Researchers looked at two key features to determine how pet-friendly a state is. The first is the number of dog parks per 100,000 residents \u2014 which the National Recreation and Park Association says enables pets and their owners to exercise and socialize. Next, the team compared the number of pet owners in a state to the number of local veterinarians.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter all, the availability of good health care is another important aspect for pet owners to consider when\u00a0deciding where to live,\u201d the ConsumerAffairs team writes. Following Maine was Vermont, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. Conversely, it turns out\u00a0city life is the worst thing\u00a0for pets and their owners, as New York finished as a minor pet-friendly state in the country. Neighboring New Jersey and Rhode Island tied for the second-worst pet-friendly state.<\/p>\n

Pets have become a significant part of many people\u2019s lives. They\u2019re companions who are always there for you when you need them. Most people think of their pets like children, so they opt to have pets instead of children. Hopefully, the tide will turn, and more people will choose to have real children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Generation Z may bring on a \u201cfur-baby boom\u201d since most of them don\u2019t want to have kids. A new poll reveals that seven in 10 young adults in Gen Z would adopt a pet rather than have their own children. Gen Z adults aren\u2019t the only ones choosing pets over people; millennials are also. In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":657,"featured_media":15592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-research","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nSurvey Finds Gen Z Adults Prefer Pets Over Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new poll found that seven in 10 young adults in Gen Z would adopt a pet rather than have their own children, but they aren't the only ones.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2022\/05\/survey-finds-gen-z-adults-prefer-pets-over-kids\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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