Just about every pet owner has probably told their four-legged friends “they’ll be right back” when they leave for a day of work, or said they were bringing them to the park when they actually were taking them to the vet. However, a new survey shows those people feel pretty bad about it.
In fact, eight in 10 pet owners say they feel guilty about lying to their pets — and seven in 10 say they think their pets can tell when you’re pulling their leg.
The non-scientific survey of 2,000 American pet owners that was sponsored by Vetster also reveals that the most common lie is to get their pet to stop playing (43%).
Thirty-seven percent lie about how much food they have left.
The survey also listed the other common pet-owning occurrences that make them feel bad:
Fifty-nine percent say they feel like they don’t spend enough time with their furry family members; 58% say they feel they feel bad for spending too little — or too much — money on them; 58% say they feel guilty when their pets are sick; 54% get blue when bad weather keeps them from walking their dogs; and 53% feel guilty when they kick their pets off their couch or bed.