Cat people tend to talk to their cats more per day than dog people do to their dogs, a new study suggests.

Rover, a Seattle-based pet care company, released a Canadian-specific report on Thursday, investigating how dog people and cat people forge relationships with their pets, what role pets take in a family, and how they affect their owners鈥� financial decisions, like buying a home or a car.

鈥淭raditional family habits are shifting to cater to the family members we choose, our cats and dogs. Millennials are adopting pets as starter families and Baby Boomers are welcoming pets as extended family, and behaviour is adapting accordingly,鈥� said Alison Rutty, director of cats and new business lines, in a news release.

For big financial decisions, 42 per cent of the study鈥檚 subjects said they consider their pet when buying a home, 40 per cent when buying a car, and 37 per cent when choosing furniture.

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Cat people talk to their pets 6 to 10 times a day, the study suggests, while dog owners talk to their pets 1 to 5 times.

The report also suggests pet owners possibly love their pets more than family and friends, with 50 per cent of cat people preferring to spend time with their feline instead. And 76 per cent of dog owners prefer their company over people.

鈥淧et parents not only want their pet to be their best friend, but to be their pet鈥檚 best friend in return. So, it鈥檚 not surprising to see what the data tells us: We have conversations with our cats, comfort our dogs after they have nightmares, and consider all our pets in big life decisions,鈥� said Rutty.

Other curious findings:

• Eighty-eight per cent of dog owners love to sing to their fur babies, most of the songs made up on the fly
• Seventy-two per cent of both types of owners said their pets are spoiled and are allowed to take over the couch or bed
• Three quarters of both groups also claimed that half of their photos on their phone are of their pets
• Most dog owners (74 per cent) have more trouble sleeping in, with their trusty companion ready for the walk. Only 36 per cent of cat people find trouble hitting the snooze button.

The survey was conducted in March, with 832 Canadian adult dog and cat owners taking part.

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