Pet owner or pet parent? Take the fur-baby test

Pet parent cuddling their dog and cat at home

Be honest: how many photos of your pet are on your phone? Do you talk to them as though they understand every word, buy them birthday presents or rearrange your plans because you don’t want to leave them home alone?

If so, you’re in good company. Australia is officially a nation of pet lovers: 73% of households now have at least one pet, and 86% of pet owners say their animals have a positive impact on their lives.

So when does a dog or cat stop being “just a pet” and become a fully fledged member of the family? Take our completely unscientific fur-baby test and find out.

Pet parent or pet owner? Take the fur-baby test


High score? You’re not alone!

Australia really is a nation of pet parents. There are an estimated 31.6 million pets across the country, including around 7.3 million dogs and 5.8 million cats.

More importantly, pets aren’t simply sharing our homes. They play an increasingly important role in our lives. 86% of Australian pet owners say their pets have had a positive impact on them, and companionship remains the most common reason Australians choose to have a dog or cat.

And yes, we spend money on them too. Australians now spend an estimated $21.3 billion a year caring for their pets – from food and veterinary care to toys, accessories and everything in between.

Did you know? “Fur baby” became sufficiently mainstream to be added to Oxford Dictionaries Online in 2015. Today, Oxford defines it as a pet that is treated with the love and attention you would give a child.

Why do we love them so much? Science has a few clues

It turns out that the warm, fuzzy feeling isn’t entirely in our heads.

Research into dogs and their owners has found evidence of an oxytocin-mediated feedback loop during mutual gazing. In one well-known study, longer eye contact between dogs and their owners was associated with increases in oxytocin  – the hormone involved in social bonding – in both.

Pet owner relaxing at home surrounded by dogs and cats

And if you’ve ever caught yourself speaking to your pet in a slightly higher-pitched “Who’s a good boy/girl?” voice, that’s a real phenomenon too. Research has found that dogs can pay more attention to natural dog-directed speech, particularly when its tone is combined with dog-relevant words.

Cats appear to know when we’re using our special voice as well. In one study, cats distinguished between speech directed specifically at them and ordinary adult-directed speech when it came from their own owner, but not when the speaker was a stranger.

In other words, all those one-sided conversations with your pet may not be quite as one-sided as they seem.

When your pet needs you the most, pet insurance can help you focus on their care, not the cost

Are we spoiling our pets by treating them like family?

Loving your pet like a member of the family isn’t the same as treating them like a tiny human. The best kind of pet parenting means giving them plenty of affection while still respecting what they need as a dog or cat.

For dogs, that includes exercise, opportunities to sniff and explore, social interaction, appropriate training and clear, consistent routines. Cats need opportunities to climb, hide, scratch, hunt through play and choose when they want social contact.

So yes – buy the birthday present, take hundreds of photos and give them a ridiculous nickname. Just remember that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is let your dog be a dog and your cat be a cat.

And if you scored 11 or 12 on our quiz? We’d love to see photographic evidence. Share your fur baby with us on Facebook or Instagram.


Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance can help protect you and your dog should an unexpected trip to the vet occur.

Written by

Nicky Klugman

Nicky is our Marketing Communications and Content Specialist. She is an animal-lover who is particularly interested in animal behaviour and the relationships between humans and their pets. While growing up, dogs were always an integral part of the family. Nicky is mum to three human sons and a rescue pup called Dobby.

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Please note, any pet insurance advice provided is general only. Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for details of Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance cover.
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