Dog
You’d be smiling, too, if you were this loved. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)

Millennials are willing to adjust where they live, who they date and what tattoo they get all it the name of a beloved pet, according to a new survey from Trupanion, the Seattle-based provider of medical insurance for cats and dogs.

The first annual TruPoll, released Tuesday, surveyed 1,250 pet owners across the U.S. and Canada to better understand how pets influence our activities and purchasing behaviors. Some of the data reveals significant differences in how much focus respondents put into the relationships with their pets based on the age, gender and income bracket of the pet owner.

A Trupanion news release focused on millennials in particular:

  • 12 percent of millennials have ended a romantic relationship because of their pet.
  • 40 percent of millennials have moved into a new home, condo or apartment in order to live in a more pet-friendly environment.
  • 43 percent of millennials refer to their pet as their “fur baby” while only 20 percent of baby boomers use the same reference. Pet owners who refer to their pets as “fur babies” are more likely than the average owner to allow their pet on their bed (57 percent).
  • 13 percent of millennials cook food specifically for their pet every day, while two-thirds (67 percent) of millennials have indicated that they will take the time to cook meals specifically for their pet on occasion.
  • 30 percent of millennials choose the restaurants or bars they frequent based on the ability to bring their pets.
  • 5 percent of millennials choose to permanently tattoo their body with the love of their life … their pet.

“The aim of this study was to take a comprehensive look at how pet owners express their relationship with their cats and dogs,” Margi Tooth, chief marketing officer at Trupanion, said in a statement. “Our research shows that pet owners today are placing an extra emphasis on the comfort, health, and well-being of their cats and dogs. While we may express our relationships with our pets differently, the data is clear that we consider them part of the family now more than ever.”

Trupanion was founded in 2000 and last year moved its headquarters — along with more than 450 employees and more than 200 pets — to the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.

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