I am starting to think the international research community might be in the pay of pets. It’s not an allegation I make lightly, but have you been following companion animal news recently? First, research from the University of Kent concluded pets were equivalent to £70,000-worth of life satisfaction and wellbeing, roughly equivalent to the psychological benefits of being married. Then, in a Hungarian study, dog owners reported “greater satisfaction with their dogs than with any human partner except their child”. And now a survey of 31,299 pet owners reveals 58% of people find cats and dogs more comforting than people at stressful times, outranking spouses, friends and kids. It........

© The Guardian