Lifestyle Pets One Third of Pet-Owning Parents Prefer Their Furry Friends over Their Kids, Survey Finds A survey from I and Love and You found that 34% of pet-owning parents said their pet was their favorite child By Kelli Bender Published on September 10, 2019 02:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty The poll never lies, which could be bad news for human kids. According to a recent survey of 2,000 pet owners conducted by OnePoll on behalf pet food company I and Love and You, 34% of pet-owning parents said their pet is their favorite child, beating out their own flesh and blood. The survey found other examples of the power our perfect pets have over us: 78% of participants said they consider their pet to be a family member and 67% said their pet is their best friend. Part of what makes a pet an ideal companion, according to the poll, is their ability to listen. Out of the pet owners surveyed, 54% believe their pet understands them better than their significant other or their human best friend. Survey Finds Over Half of Dog Owners Kiss Their Pooches More Than Their Partners After reading these results, it makes sense that many pet owners love to pamper their furry friends. The I and Love and You survey found that 42% participants throw birthday parties for their pets and 41% spend less money on their own food to spend more on a meal for their pets. Basically, people love their pets, and part of that is because pets are great at loving us in return. To see more results from this survey, visit I and Love and You’s website.