Study suggests pets are significant in child development

A recent study of the relationship between children and pets has found that animals can play an important role in child socialisation, particularly for those without siblings.

The research, which was conducted by The University of Liverpool, the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition and Mars Petcare, studied 1,000 children between nine and 10-years-old.

Findings revealed that nearly 50 per cent of children talked to their pet as they would a friend, and more than one in three confided in their pet.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Sandra McCune, leader for human-animal interaction at Waltham, added: "Pets play a crucial role in the development of children; allowing them to socialise, care for and nurture others."

Further, more than a third of the children felt that their pet understood how they felt, and children with no siblings were particularly attached to their pets.

Dr McCune added that this interaction is "particularly important for children who do not have siblings to learn from and play with, and for the youngest siblings in the family who do not have a younger, more dependent sibling to care for."

The study also found that 80 per cent of the children considered their pet to be a member of the family, and over half would greet their pet before other members of the family on returning home from school.