A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country
The relationship between humans and their pets has long fascinated researchers, particularly in exploring how attachment varies according to the type of pet. Cats and dogs exhibit unique behavioral and social traits that influence the dynamics of human–pet relationships. Moreover, specific human cha...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/76 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841549497464782848 |
|---|---|
| author | Eider Egaña-Marcos Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga Garikoiz Azkona |
| author_facet | Eider Egaña-Marcos Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga Garikoiz Azkona |
| author_sort | Eider Egaña-Marcos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The relationship between humans and their pets has long fascinated researchers, particularly in exploring how attachment varies according to the type of pet. Cats and dogs exhibit unique behavioral and social traits that influence the dynamics of human–pet relationships. Moreover, specific human characteristics have been found to affect this attachment. Our study examines the human factors that influence pet attachment among cat and dog owners in the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. By investigating these elements, our research aims to enhance the understanding of how human factors shape the human–animal bond. The study included a total of 202 participants, of whom 66.8% were dog owners, and 74.8% identified as women, with ages ranging from 18 to 74 years. Consistent with many previous studies, our results indicate that attachment is generally stronger with dogs compared to cats and that owner’s characteristics such as being female, younger, not living with children, and the amount of time spent with pets on weekends are linked to stronger attachments to pets. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-48ebc553cbf24c6fbd1696a5eb4b340a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-48ebc553cbf24c6fbd1696a5eb4b340a2025-01-10T13:13:59ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-011517610.3390/ani15010076A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque CountryEider Egaña-Marcos0Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga1Garikoiz Azkona2Department of Basic Psychological Processes and Their Development, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Tolosa Hiribidea, 20018 Donostia, SpainDepartment of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Tolosa Hiribidea, 20018 Donostia, SpainDepartment of Basic Psychological Processes and Their Development, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Tolosa Hiribidea, 20018 Donostia, SpainThe relationship between humans and their pets has long fascinated researchers, particularly in exploring how attachment varies according to the type of pet. Cats and dogs exhibit unique behavioral and social traits that influence the dynamics of human–pet relationships. Moreover, specific human characteristics have been found to affect this attachment. Our study examines the human factors that influence pet attachment among cat and dog owners in the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. By investigating these elements, our research aims to enhance the understanding of how human factors shape the human–animal bond. The study included a total of 202 participants, of whom 66.8% were dog owners, and 74.8% identified as women, with ages ranging from 18 to 74 years. Consistent with many previous studies, our results indicate that attachment is generally stronger with dogs compared to cats and that owner’s characteristics such as being female, younger, not living with children, and the amount of time spent with pets on weekends are linked to stronger attachments to pets.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/76attachmenthuman–pet interactioncat ownerdog ownerLexington attachment to pets scale |
| spellingShingle | Eider Egaña-Marcos Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga Garikoiz Azkona A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country Animals attachment human–pet interaction cat owner dog owner Lexington attachment to pets scale |
| title | A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country |
| title_full | A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country |
| title_fullStr | A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country |
| title_short | A Study on the Attachment to Pets Among Owners of Cats and Dogs Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) in the Basque Country |
| title_sort | study on the attachment to pets among owners of cats and dogs using the lexington attachment to pets scale laps in the basque country |
| topic | attachment human–pet interaction cat owner dog owner Lexington attachment to pets scale |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/76 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT eidereganamarcos astudyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry AT olatzgonibalentziaga astudyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry AT garikoizazkona astudyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry AT eidereganamarcos studyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry AT olatzgonibalentziaga studyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry AT garikoizazkona studyontheattachmenttopetsamongownersofcatsanddogsusingthelexingtonattachmenttopetsscalelapsinthebasquecountry |