Three's not always a crowd - the furry companions that make you more datable
One in five Brits say they would rather date a pet-owner - with pooch-lovers coming top dog, a survey has revealed.
Nearly a third said dog-lovers were the most attractive, while a quarter were feline the love with cat keepers. One in four women said they found the opposite sex more attractive with a pet and more than one in seven men said the same.
The survey of 2,000 people also revealed a staggering one in eight people would dump a lover if they would not accept a pet into their lives.
Dating expert and lifestyle blogger Vix Mildrew said: "Pets show a person is caring, nurturing and responsible but without the emotional ties of a baby from a messy break up.
"If you've got a cute puppy on your dating profile, you're statistically more likely to get matched with!"
But reptiles and creepy crawlies were found to be turn-offs with more than half of Brits saying they would be less likely to date someone keeping a tarantula or snakes.The poll by pet insurers AnimalFriends.co.uk also found small animals such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs put off budding beaus.
As well as having the pets most attractive to the potential dates the average British dog owner met three new people a week while walking their pet. And 8% people said they had dates thanks to a chance meeting of pets.
The survey revealed that man's best friend doubled as a wingman to help one in ten canine-owning men meet potential partners. And a third of pet owners also said their cuddly companion has strengthened their current relationship.
The survey found that couples tended to bond over the shared love of animals with dog-lovers going out with other pooch owners 88% of the time. More than two thirds of cat lovers were suitably paired also.
But one in ten respondents said having a pet made a partner less dateable - mostly due to dealing with smells and mess. About half said the responsibility of owning a pet was too much to bear, 29% said the cost was too high and others rules pets out due to allergies.
According to Pet Food Manufacturers' Association the pet population in the UK, from 2015-16, was 57 million - so there's a fair chance of bumping into a budding beau.