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What men do when their best friend goes walkies

26th April 2011 Print

They say a dog is a man's best friend and new research from MORE TH>N pet insurance shows the attachment men have with their pets appears to be greater than that of their female counterparts.

The study among British pet owners found that over 13% of men have taken a week or more off work to get over the upset caused by a pet going missing or being stolen, compared to just 5% of women.

Men are also more likely to cancel social engagements due to a pet going missing (15%) compared to women (12%) - and 6% of men have even gone as far as cancelling special celebrations such as birthdays and weddings.

No one is immune to the pain of a lost or stolen pet.  High profile celebrities such as Paris Hilton, who was distraught when her pet chihuahua Tinkerbell went missing and Jesse James who was inconsolable when his adorable four legged friend Cinnabun suddenly disappeared last year have both suffered stress from a lost pet.

Pete Markey, Head of Insurance at MORE TH>N, said: "People who own pets are often very attached to them and coping with their sudden disappearance can often be akin to losing a family member. This seems to be the case for men especially, with the impact of a missing pet taking its toll emotionally."

In addition, men are prepared to spend more on trying to find their pet, with almost 20% willing to spend between £100 and £1,000 for the safe return of an animal, compared to just 14% of women.

However, the findings also reveal a third of pet owners do not invest in pet insurance, which can help ease the financial costs associated with finding a pet.

Leading chartered psychologist, Beverly Stone said: "These findings highlight the inherent differences between men and women. Whereas women tend to fear for the potential loss of their pet when it goes missing and mourns the loss if their pet dies, a man not only experiences a similar fear and mourning but may also feel a strong sense of responsibility.

"As a consequence, they are likely to feel that they have failed to protect their pet. Men need more time to get over the guilt, and they would not want to be exposed to people asking what happened in social events, if they feel responsible''.

MORE TH>N PET Insurance has created a number of tips to locate your pet in the event you lose or someone steals it:

Collars - if someone finds your pet, you need to be sure they can contact you. Collars are a great way of identifying your pet, so make sure the name and the contact details are updated on a regular basis.

Microchipping - a microchip can be injected under your pet's skin to reveal your contact details and ensure that your pet is returned to you.

Insurance - insurance is not just there for covering vet bills, it can also help with the costs associated with finding your pet. For example MORE TH>N will cover up to £600 to help with advertising costs in the local paper and for producing posters of the missing pet.

Take photos of your pet - make sure you have an up-to-date photo of your pet. You can use your insurance to print posters and advertise your missing pet. You can also make use of free online sites such as Animal Search's lost pets list - animalsearchuk.co.uk/list_lost_pets.php

Social network sites - social media can be a really useful tool in the search for a missing pet. It is available to millions of people, which opens up more avenues to help find the pet.

Ask around ­- inform your neighbours and ask them to keep a lookout as they may spot your missing pet, or uncover where it's hiding. Notify any nearby kennels that you are looking for a missing pet and routinely call them back to check if they have found it. Also notify pet rescue centres as someone may have handed in your pet.