A new survey* of 2,000 dog and cat owners looked at the experiences of having younger and senior pets and found that 71% of pet owner-guardians reported their animals got smarter with age. In fact, according to the respondents, as pets get older they are better at interacting with other pets and other people (72%) and learning new tricks and commands (56%).
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Here are some other interesting findings pet owner-guardians reported:
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-Of those owner-guardians of younger pets, 54% said they are easy to teach, and 87% of owner-guardians of older pets say that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.
–Owner-guardians of senior pets reported a stronger emotional connection with their pets than those who have younger pets (91% vs. 85%).
-Owner-guardians of younger pets reported the pets have more energy (64%) and fewer health issues (54%). However, pet owner-guardians also reported that younger pets need more training (61%) and are more likely to have accidents (55%).
-Owner-guardians of senior pets worry less about training (69%) or the pets misbehaving (64%) and even said senior pets are just as easy to care for as younger pets (57%).
– Most owner-guardians of senior pets (72%) report they have noticed positive changes in their senior pets when prioritizing nutrition.
-Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents with senior animals said their pets had become a more intuitive companion with age.
– Owners-guardians of senior pets reported their pets have made a significant impact on their lives (90%).
– A full 68% of pet owner-guardians think that more people should be open to adopting a senior pet.
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*The survey was conducted by OnePoll for Stella & Chewy’s
FIREPAW, Inc. 