- Seit
- 28 Sep 2002
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- 33.449
iPods and PlayStations are replacing pets
Key points
Number of UK homes with pets falls as modern life too hectic for animals
Charities say drop in ownership may also reflect more responsible attitude
Computer-generated virtual pets soar in popularity with children
Key quote
"The falling number of children has contributed to this decline. What is more, even in those families with children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many children now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes" - Report by Mintel
Story in full PLAYSTATIONS and television are replacing pets in the modern home as families discover the hectic pace of their lives leaves no room for animals, according to new research.
The percentage of British homes with a pet has fallen from almost 55 per cent in 1999 to 48 per cent today.
In some cases, children are even turning to virtual pets instead of the real thing.
However, while fewer people own pets, those who do are spending more money than ever on their care, with the market for food, pet accessories and pet insurance now worth an estimated £3.6 billion.
Animal charities even believe the fall in pet ownership could be a good sign, showing that people are becoming more responsible and not taking on a pet they know they could not care for properly.
Yesterday's study by Mintel identified longer working hours, the increase of overseas holidays and the trend to live in flats and smaller homes as playing a part in the reduction of pet ownership.
"The falling number of children has contributed to this decline. What is more, even in those families with children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many children now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes," the study concluded.
Gadgetry such as video games, computers and mobile phones have monopolised children's attention.
As an indication of this, computer-generated "virtual pets" have seen their popularity soar in recent years. Neopets.com a website themed around the ownership of pets, created and cared for by the site's members, now boasts more than 25 million members worldwide and has just struck a film deal with Warner Bros.
Rudimentary virtual pets such as Tamagotchi continue to sell, and in October Nintendo will release a virtual pet game, Nintendogs, in which virtual dogs will respond to voice commands and bark at Nintendogs on other nearby consoles.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), said decreasing pet ownership may reflect better decision-making by potential pet owners.
"It may be that people are thinking twice over whether they have the facilities, time and inclination to care for animals correctly. It's a big investment and when people don't understand that, we usually come in," an RSPCA spokeswoman said.
Edinburgh's largest pet shelter also responded optimistically yesterday, hoping that the study may presage a decrease in the 105,000 dogs found straying or abandoned each year.
"We are down about 70 dogs this year on the number of dogs we have to rehome. That's not a huge number but it's significant. It's always the hope at shelters that people will become more responsible," David Ewing, the manager of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said.
Despite decreasing pet ownership, the pet-care market rose by 24 per cent in the past five years, reaching a net worth of £3.6 billion.
Pet food, which accounts for half of the market, is up 15 per cent, thanks to a willingness to spend more on premium food.
The sale of pet accessories, including jewelled collars and trendy dog-suits, has swelled to almost a quarter of a billion pounds a year.
"Owners are showing a continued willingness to indulge. Increased levels of disposable income have enabled consumers to spoil their animals, with a range of new products," the study said.
Pet health-care and insurance have also increased 30 per cent over the past five years.
Pet owners are increasingly willing to pay for expensive treatments for sick pets, rather than have them put down. This has caused veterinary prices to soar, which in turn has led to the rise in pet insurance.
While only 12 per cent of pets are currently insured, that number is expected to explode now that popular supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco have entered the market.
"At present, the penetration levels of pet insurance are quite low, but as it becomes an increasingly high-profile sector within the wider insurance market, this will change," the study said.
The study also found that women are more likely to spend money on pets than men. While just one in ten men likes to buy gifts for pets, more than one in five women do so.
Katy Child, a researcher for Mintel, said: "It would seem that British women are taking a more motherly role when it comes to looking after their pets.
"In some cases, the arrival of a new pet into the home does have similarities with the arrival of a new baby."
She explained: "On their first visit to the vet, a new dog owner receives a puppy pack, mimicking the baby bounty packs given to new mothers in hospital.
"Products such as nappies and disposable training mats are even available to toilet-train a puppy, as one might do a toddler."
A psychologist who specialises in human-animal interaction, Professor Deborah Wells, from Queen's University, Belfast, said: Life is fast-paced and people don't have time for big pet commitments. That is why cats are now more popular than dogs - they require less care.
"But people have always lived with animals," she said. "Maybe we are just going to see people buy less time-consuming pets."
ENGINEER MISSING MAN'S BEST FRIEND
DANIEL Wardrope has a beautiful girlfriend, lots of friends and a successful career as a mechanical engineer. Still, something is missing in his life.
"I always felt like I'd get a dog when I grew up. It never occurred to me that life would get in the way," he says.
A British citizen who grew up in Australia, Mr Wardrope's childhood dog, Eva, found the family's 30-acre property outside Melbourne to be a virtual Eden, hence her name. But when 27-year-old Mr Wardrope moved to Edinburgh three years ago, he found his life had suddenly become a pet-free zone.
"My one bedroom in Edinburgh was a complete loss for a pet. I knew owning a dog would be prohibitively expensive in the city, and it is too far to travel to the country," he said. With a full-time job, as well as a place in the Scottish basketball team, life has also proved too fast-paced for Mr Wardrope to have a dog.
Smaller pets that require less upkeep, such as hamsters, fish or birds, don't interest him. Nor does the idea of a small, city-friendly dog. "What I need is a big, thumping, drooling, loveable dog," he said. "I'll get him one day. I know it sounds dramatic, but until then my life will be a little sadder."
news.scotsman.com
Ich halte gegen den Trend, hab kein virtuelles Tier, dafür richtige Haustiere und so schnell wird sich das auch nicht ändern
trotzdem irgendwie eine traurige Entwicklung, wobei es jetzt sicherlich nicht nur auf Videospiele, virtuelle Pets, usw. zurückzuführen ist
Key points
Number of UK homes with pets falls as modern life too hectic for animals
Charities say drop in ownership may also reflect more responsible attitude
Computer-generated virtual pets soar in popularity with children
Key quote
"The falling number of children has contributed to this decline. What is more, even in those families with children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many children now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes" - Report by Mintel
Story in full PLAYSTATIONS and television are replacing pets in the modern home as families discover the hectic pace of their lives leaves no room for animals, according to new research.
The percentage of British homes with a pet has fallen from almost 55 per cent in 1999 to 48 per cent today.
In some cases, children are even turning to virtual pets instead of the real thing.
However, while fewer people own pets, those who do are spending more money than ever on their care, with the market for food, pet accessories and pet insurance now worth an estimated £3.6 billion.
Animal charities even believe the fall in pet ownership could be a good sign, showing that people are becoming more responsible and not taking on a pet they know they could not care for properly.
Yesterday's study by Mintel identified longer working hours, the increase of overseas holidays and the trend to live in flats and smaller homes as playing a part in the reduction of pet ownership.
"The falling number of children has contributed to this decline. What is more, even in those families with children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many children now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes," the study concluded.
Gadgetry such as video games, computers and mobile phones have monopolised children's attention.
As an indication of this, computer-generated "virtual pets" have seen their popularity soar in recent years. Neopets.com a website themed around the ownership of pets, created and cared for by the site's members, now boasts more than 25 million members worldwide and has just struck a film deal with Warner Bros.
Rudimentary virtual pets such as Tamagotchi continue to sell, and in October Nintendo will release a virtual pet game, Nintendogs, in which virtual dogs will respond to voice commands and bark at Nintendogs on other nearby consoles.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), said decreasing pet ownership may reflect better decision-making by potential pet owners.
"It may be that people are thinking twice over whether they have the facilities, time and inclination to care for animals correctly. It's a big investment and when people don't understand that, we usually come in," an RSPCA spokeswoman said.
Edinburgh's largest pet shelter also responded optimistically yesterday, hoping that the study may presage a decrease in the 105,000 dogs found straying or abandoned each year.
"We are down about 70 dogs this year on the number of dogs we have to rehome. That's not a huge number but it's significant. It's always the hope at shelters that people will become more responsible," David Ewing, the manager of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said.
Despite decreasing pet ownership, the pet-care market rose by 24 per cent in the past five years, reaching a net worth of £3.6 billion.
Pet food, which accounts for half of the market, is up 15 per cent, thanks to a willingness to spend more on premium food.
The sale of pet accessories, including jewelled collars and trendy dog-suits, has swelled to almost a quarter of a billion pounds a year.
"Owners are showing a continued willingness to indulge. Increased levels of disposable income have enabled consumers to spoil their animals, with a range of new products," the study said.
Pet health-care and insurance have also increased 30 per cent over the past five years.
Pet owners are increasingly willing to pay for expensive treatments for sick pets, rather than have them put down. This has caused veterinary prices to soar, which in turn has led to the rise in pet insurance.
While only 12 per cent of pets are currently insured, that number is expected to explode now that popular supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco have entered the market.
"At present, the penetration levels of pet insurance are quite low, but as it becomes an increasingly high-profile sector within the wider insurance market, this will change," the study said.
The study also found that women are more likely to spend money on pets than men. While just one in ten men likes to buy gifts for pets, more than one in five women do so.
Katy Child, a researcher for Mintel, said: "It would seem that British women are taking a more motherly role when it comes to looking after their pets.
"In some cases, the arrival of a new pet into the home does have similarities with the arrival of a new baby."
She explained: "On their first visit to the vet, a new dog owner receives a puppy pack, mimicking the baby bounty packs given to new mothers in hospital.
"Products such as nappies and disposable training mats are even available to toilet-train a puppy, as one might do a toddler."
A psychologist who specialises in human-animal interaction, Professor Deborah Wells, from Queen's University, Belfast, said: Life is fast-paced and people don't have time for big pet commitments. That is why cats are now more popular than dogs - they require less care.
"But people have always lived with animals," she said. "Maybe we are just going to see people buy less time-consuming pets."
ENGINEER MISSING MAN'S BEST FRIEND
DANIEL Wardrope has a beautiful girlfriend, lots of friends and a successful career as a mechanical engineer. Still, something is missing in his life.
"I always felt like I'd get a dog when I grew up. It never occurred to me that life would get in the way," he says.
A British citizen who grew up in Australia, Mr Wardrope's childhood dog, Eva, found the family's 30-acre property outside Melbourne to be a virtual Eden, hence her name. But when 27-year-old Mr Wardrope moved to Edinburgh three years ago, he found his life had suddenly become a pet-free zone.
"My one bedroom in Edinburgh was a complete loss for a pet. I knew owning a dog would be prohibitively expensive in the city, and it is too far to travel to the country," he said. With a full-time job, as well as a place in the Scottish basketball team, life has also proved too fast-paced for Mr Wardrope to have a dog.
Smaller pets that require less upkeep, such as hamsters, fish or birds, don't interest him. Nor does the idea of a small, city-friendly dog. "What I need is a big, thumping, drooling, loveable dog," he said. "I'll get him one day. I know it sounds dramatic, but until then my life will be a little sadder."
news.scotsman.com
Ich halte gegen den Trend, hab kein virtuelles Tier, dafür richtige Haustiere und so schnell wird sich das auch nicht ändern
trotzdem irgendwie eine traurige Entwicklung, wobei es jetzt sicherlich nicht nur auf Videospiele, virtuelle Pets, usw. zurückzuführen ist
