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London (pte035/16.06.2005/14:42) - A recent study done in the United Kingdom by Mintel http://www.mintel.com/ found that more and more households are opting for gadgets than pets. The choice seems to stem from the fact that modern life has become too hectic for animals. Virtual pets, says the study, are increasingly popular amongst children.
Compared to 1999, the percentage of families who had pets in the UK has dropped by seven per cent - from 55 to 48 per cent.
A number of factors are relevant, says Mintel: People are working longer hours and have less time for animals, they take more overseas trips, and live in smaller flats and houses.
"The falling number of children has contributed to this decline," the study concludes. "What is more, even in those families with children, the demand for pets may not be as strong as it once was, since many children now prefer to immerse themselves in the world of computer games and TV programmes."
Children seem to be more interested in high-tech gadgets such as iPods, PlayStations and mobile phones. Tamagotchis are selling well, and Nintendo will release Nintendogs, a virtual pet game, in October.
A sign of these computer-oriented times is a website called Neopets.com http://www.neopets.com , which has 25 million members worldwide. The website allows you to create and care for your own pet online.
Animal charity groups such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) http://www.rspca.org.uk say that the decline in pet ownership may reflect a more responsible attitude towards animals. "It may be that people are thinking twice over whether they have the facilities, time and inclination to care for animals correctly. It's a big investment and when people don't understand that, we usually come in," an RSPCA spokeswoman said.
Professor Deborah Wells, from Queen's University, Belfast, a psychologist who specialises in human-animal interaction, said: "Life is fast-paced and people don't have time for big pet commitments. That's why cats are now more popular than dogs - they require less care.
"But people have always lived with animals," she said. "Maybe we are just going to see people buy less time-consuming pets."
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