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The Associated Press has just released a phone poll they conducted with pet owners across the country.  The biggest find of this poll, most pet owners feel like their pets are a part of the family.  Isn’t that something we already knew?

In the poll, pet owners also admitted to a range of quirky beliefs about their pets.  A total of 27% of pet owners stated that they celebrated their pet’s birthdays.  Don’t feel bad if you don’t know your pet’s birthday.  Try celebrating on the same day every year, so you can at least mark the passing of time.

Of those people who participated in the poll 72% owned a dog, 47% owned a cat, 12% owned fish, 6% owned a bird, 3% owned a rabbit and 3% owned a small animal like a gerbil, mouse, rat or hamster.  Hey, looks like dogs rule!

In addition, 43% of people felt that their pets had a sense of style and 19% admitted to buying an outfit for their pets.

There are plenty of people taking their pets along with them wherever they go too.  42% have taken a pet on vacation, 35% included their pet in a family portrait, 33% included their pet in a holiday card, 17% have taken a pet to work and a naughty 16% have taken a pet somewhere it isn't allowed, like a hotel or store.

Those of you with overweight pets can probably pin point exactly where that came from, especially if you are in the 12% that admits to always giving their pets people food.  While only 27% claim they have never offered human food to a pet.  I bet that 12% belong to the group that owned fish.

Lastly, where our pets sleep seems to vary wildly.  Many pet owners stated that 33% of pets sleep in its own bed or cage, 30% in your bed, 23% somewhere else, and 13% of pets sleep outdoors:

 Source: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090623/ARTICLES/906239971/1051?Title=Multimedia-What-people-say-about-their-pets