Study reveals the No. 1 reason Americans consider giving their pet away

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Household messes are the number one reason pet owners have considered giving their four-legged pal away, according to new research.

They may well be one of the family, but what happens when our little furry companions are incredibly mischievous? A poll of 2,000 cat and dog owners revealed 42 percent have thought about giving away their pet as a result of their messy antics.

These beloved animals are getting into the trash and tearing up their owners’ furniture. Seven in 10 have had their furry friends destroy something in their home.

In fact, 56 percent of those studied revealed they’ve come home to a destroyed item of clothing or one of their pet’s toys torn to shreds while a further 52 percent have been welcomed home to find a totally destroyed couch.

The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Fuzzy Pet Health, examined the experiences of dog and cat owners and uncovered that 44 percent have come home to their pet tearing up the toilet paper in the bathroom.

But that’s not all: Nearly half (48 percent) have had their four-legged friends get into the garbage and leave a massive mess for them to clean up, or had their pets get ahold of paper and eat it – adding to the mess.

Dog and cat owners really never know what they are coming home to after leaving their furry friends home alone. Forty-three percent have had their pet have an accident in the house or chew through blankets and comforters upon their return home.

Some respondents, however, had other reasons for considering giving their pet away. Two in five say allergies became an issue for someone in the household while a further 39 percent say they didn’t know the animal would need so much attention.

That being said, there are a number of things cat and dog owners have done to avoid giving their pet away – even for the 35 percent who think their furry friend suffers from behavioral issues.

Fifty-six percent of those who ever considered giving their pet away became more patient with their pet, while a further 52 percent put in the effort to get a trainer for their four-legged companion.

But that’s not all dog and cat owners did to avoid the heartbreak of giving up their pet. Over half (51 percent) of those who have ever considered giving their pet away or up for adoption used supplements to help their pet feel better overall.

“Stress in pets is much more prevalent than we know,” said Dr. Lisa Lippman, Fuzzy Pet Health’s New York lead veterinarian. “We have created Fuzzy Health Packs – a monthly personalized medicine plan tailored to your pet's needs – which includes options for pets with anxiety.”

To help their pets while away from home, another 43 percent have invested money in a pet-sitter/walker to ensure their pet was properly cared for – and to avoid coming home to a disaster.

It turns out, 56 percent of the cat and dog owners studied say they think their pet knows they are guilty when they do something wrong in the house.

That’s probably why a staggering 64 percent worry their pet will get up to no good when they leave them home alone.

It is no wonder, then, that 61 percent of the dog and cat owners surveyed consider their pet to be mischievous.

“Other key contributing factors to anxiety and stress in pets can be boredom, needing physical and/or mental stimulation and lack of training,” continued Dr. Lippman. “Owners expect pets to just listen when they want them to, but through training, clear lines of communication can be opened which ultimately will strengthen the human-animal bond."

With the average dog and cat owner having to deal with over $260 worth of house damage caused by their pet, it should come as no surprise that stress is part of a pet owners’ life.

In fact, three in 10 of those surveyed say they experience more stress since getting their furry companion.

Seventy-six percent of the dog and cat owners studied say they feel stressed when returning home because of their pet’s past destruction of items in the home.

With this stress comes concern about the decision to have a pet. Unfortunately, 36 percent have gone through the heartbreaking consideration of giving up their current pet.

TOP 5 MISCHIEVOUS PET BEHAVIORS
Getting into the garbage and leaving a massive mess           48%
Getting ahold of paper and eating it/making a mess              48%
Tearing up the toilet paper in the bathroom                            44%
Having an accident in the house                                            43%
Chewing through blankets/comforters                                    43%

TOP 5 MOST COMMON THINGS PETS DESTROY
Clothing        56%
Toys              56%
Couch           52%
Blanket         49%
Chair             47%

TOP 10 REASONS PET OWNERS CONSIDERED GIVING PET AWAY
Made a mess in the house frequently                          42%
Allergies became an issue                                           40%
Thought my pet was making too much noise               40%
Didn’t know animal would need so much attention       39%
Didn’t know how to handle animal’s medical needs      39%
Didn’t like the way my pet reacted to new child             39%
Pet was shedding too much                                           38%
I was moving and didn’t want to bring pets along           38%
Pet was too hyper                                                           37%
Didn’t get along with my partner/significant other           37%

TOP 5 REASONS PETS BEHAVE POORLY
Trying to solve pet’s problems on my own instead of a professional            48%
Previous negative experiences/traumas                                                       47%
Due to their breed                                                                                         47%
Poorly socialized                                                                                           46%
Treating pets like people                                                                               45%