NW Poll

Dogs and Cats

August 15, 2021 by PEMCO Insurance

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?

Portland Metro
400Total
34Strongly prefer dogs
15Somewhat prefer dogs
22Neither – I like (or dislike) them both the same
9Somewhat prefer cats
18Strongly prefer cats
2Don’t know

Does your household own any dogs or cats?

Portland Metro
400Total
27Yes, we have dogs but no cats
21Yes, we have cats, but no dogs
13Yes, we have both dogs and cats
39No, 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?

Portland Metro
242Have at least one dog/cat
65None, I have them all before the pandemic
25One
7Two
3Three or more

How many, if any, of these dogs and/or cats came into your home since the start of the coronavirus pandemic?

Portland Metro
< 5555+
15191Those with at least one dog/cat
5976None / I had them all before the pandemic
4024At least one

Who in your household spends the most time and energy caring for your dogs and/or cats?

Portland Metro
242Have at least one dog/cat
61I do
22My spouse, partner, roommate does
5One of my children does
10Other

Who in your household spends the most time and energy caring for your dogs and/or cats?

Portland Metro
MaleFemale
100136Those with at least one dog/cat
5169I do
4024My 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?

Portland Metro
242Have at least one dog/cat
77Yes
18No
5Don’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?

Portland Metro
242Have at least one dog/cat
58Yes
37No
5Don’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?

Portland Metro
144Pets receiving more attention
6Extremely concerned
23Very concerned
26Somewhat concerned
32Not too concerned
6Not at all concerned

What are the primary reasons you household doesn’t own a dog or cat?

Portland Metro
158No dogs or cats
27We don’t want the responsibility (or partial responsibility) of taking care of the pet(s)
23It’s too costly to own a dog or cat
11Someone in my household is allergic
16I’m not home enough to have the time to take care of a dog or cat
11Landlord / Management won’t allow it
13The smell / They’re too messy or dirty
14We live in a home that is too small to own a dog or cat
17We 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?

Portland Metro
158No dogs or cats
4Extremely likely
9Very likely
19Somewhat likely
20Not too likely
24Not at all likely

How likely are you to get a dog or cat in the next year or so?

Portland Metro
50Likely to get one
68I want one as a companion
26Another member of my household wants oney
2We are at home more often to care for an animal during the pandemic
4Other members of my household are old enough to care for one
8Other

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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