Can Having A Pet Make You Sexier?

Can puppy or kitty help you attract people? Maybe! (Photo: Getty Images)

Showing love for your canine or feline friend shows your empathy and compassion, but does it make you more attractive to potential partners? New research in Anthrozo?s: A multidisciplinary journal of the interactions of people and animals, done in collaboration with pet store chain PetSmart, finds that pet owners are sexier.

In a survey of over 1,200 Match.com users, 35% percent of women and 26% of men said they found pet owners more attractive than those who don’t have an animal companion. On top of that, nearly half of the women and a quarter of the men said they judged dates based on how they respond to their pet. For men, a huge margin said that owning a dog was the sexiest pet option. And overall, people prefer dog owners. The paper’s researchers found, “Relatively few men or women reported that a relationship could not work with a ‘dog person,’ with no sex difference in that sentiment. However, a higher fraction of women than men felt that a relationship could not work with a ‘cat person.’”

Related: Women Are Happier Married to Men With This Trait

Cats are still their own dating catnip. However, any kind of pet will increase your chances of snagging the next date over living pet free. And if you’re going to use your pet to get dates, rescue and don’t buy! 64% of women and 49% of men were more attracted to a person with a rescued pet.

Read This Next: Do You Live In One Of America’s Self-Proclaimed Sexiest Cities?