Dogs and Cats
According to the latest 2021 PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, Seattle and Portland residents prefer dogs over cats by a more than 2 to 1 margin. How about you? Are you a canine person or feline-friendly?
Even if you don’t have one, would you consider yourself a person who prefers dogs or a person who prefers cats?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | 400 | Total |
| 31 | 34 | Strongly prefer dogs |
| 18 | 15 | Somewhat prefer dogs |
| 29 | 22 | Neither – I like (or dislike) them both the same |
| 9 | 9 | Somewhat prefer cats |
| 13 | 18 | Strongly prefer cats |
| 0 | 2 | Don’t know |
Does your household own any dogs or cats?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | 400 | Total |
| 26 | 27 | Yes, we have dogs but no cats |
| 19 | 21 | Yes, we have cats, but no dogs |
| 20 | 13 | Yes, we have both dogs and cats |
| 35 | 39 | No, we don’t have any dogs or cats |
How many, if any, of these dogs and/or cats came into your home since the start of the coronavirus pandemic?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 259 | 242 | Have at least one dog/cat |
| 54 | 65 | None, I have them all before the pandemic |
| 29 | 25 | One |
| 13 | 7 | Two |
| 4 | 3 | Three or more |
How many, if any, of these dogs and/or cats came into your home since the start of the coronavirus pandemic?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 55 | 55+ | < 55 | 55+ | |
| 175 | 84 | 151 | 91 | Those with at least one dog/cat |
| 47 | 69 | 59 | 76 | None / I had them all before the pandemic |
| 50 | 31 | 40 | 24 | At least one |
Who in your household spends the most time and energy caring for your dogs and/or cats?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 259 | 242 | Have at least one dog/cat |
| 71 | 61 | I do |
| 18 | 22 | My spouse, partner, roommate does |
| 3 | 5 | One of my children does |
| 5 | 10 | Other |
Who in your household spends the most time and energy caring for your dogs and/or cats?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| 124 | 136 | 100 | 136 | Those with at least one dog/cat |
| 64 | 76 | 51 | 69 | I do |
| 23 | 15 | 40 | 24 | My spouse, partner or roommate does |
When your pets were brought into your household, is this the same person (or the same people) who was/were “supposed” to spend the most time taking care of them?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 259 | 242 | Have at least one dog/cat |
| 82 | 77 | Yes |
| 14 | 18 | No |
| 4 | 5 | Don’t know |
In some households with dogs and cats, the pets are receiving more attention during the pandemic than they did before the pandemic because members of the household are home more often. Is this the case for your household?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 259 | 242 | Have at least one dog/cat |
| 61 | 58 | Yes |
| 35 | 37 | No |
| 4 | 5 | Don’t know |
Assuming that the COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective and available to everyone, an assuming that we eventually go back to life the way it was before the pandemic, how concerned are you about the emotional health of your own pet(s) since they may be alone more?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 161 | 144 | Pets receiving more attention |
| 18 | 6 | Extremely concerned |
| 18 | 23 | Very concerned |
| 26 | 26 | Somewhat concerned |
| 25 | 32 | Not too concerned |
| 4 | 6 | Not at all concerned |
What are the primary reasons you household doesn’t own a dog or cat?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | 158 | No dogs or cats |
| 34 | 27 | We don’t want the responsibility (or partial responsibility) of taking care of the pet(s) |
| 14 | 23 | It’s too costly to own a dog or cat |
| 16 | 11 | Someone in my household is allergic |
| 12 | 16 | I’m not home enough to have the time to take care of a dog or cat |
| 11 | 11 | Landlord / Management won’t allow it |
| 11 | 13 | The smell / They’re too messy or dirty |
| 9 | 14 | We live in a home that is too small to own a dog or cat |
| 9 | 17 | We live in a home that doesn’t have a yard for a dog or cat to play in or the type of yard that would be safe for them to play in |
How likely are you to get a dog or cat in the next year or so?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | 158 | No dogs or cats |
| 2 | 4 | Extremely likely |
| 4 | 9 | Very likely |
| 12 | 19 | Somewhat likely |
| 22 | 20 | Not too likely |
| 54 | 24 | Not at all likely |
How likely are you to get a dog or cat in the next year or so?
| Seattle Metro | Portland Metro | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 50 | Likely to get one |
| 60 | 68 | I want one as a companion |
| 24 | 26 | Another member of my household wants oney |
| 8 | 2 | We are at home more often to care for an animal during the pandemic |
| 0 | 4 | Other members of my household are old enough to care for one |
| 12 | 8 | Other |
About the PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll
PEMCO Mutual Insurance commissioned this independent survey, conducted by FBK Research of Seattle, that asked Washington and Oregon residents questions about driving habits and attitudes toward current Northwest issues. The sample size, 400 respondents in the Seattle Metro (King, Snohomish, Pierce Counties) region and 400 respondents in the Portland Metro (Multnomah, Marion, Clackamas, Washington Counties) region yields an accuracy of +/- 5.0% respectively at the 95% confidence level. In other words, if this study were conducted 100 times, in 95 instances the data will not vary by more than the associated error range.
About PEMCO Insurance
PEMCO Insurance is the Defender of Your Northwest, providing auto, home, renters and boat coverage. We are consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee expertise and social impact. Our Mutual Good programs raise the achievement levels for youth in education; build stronger, greener environments; and increase safety at home, on the road and at play. Our mission: Free our communities to worry less and live more.
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