Almost a quarter of 3,000 cat and dog owners questioned said their pet gave them more happiness than their partner, family or friends.
Four in 10 said their pet understood them better than their family and one in 10 confessed to telling secrets to their pet.
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A third believed their pet was more loyal than their family and friends and more than one in 10 said they spend more time looking after their pet than themselves.
A quarter are so proud of their dog or cat they have its picture as the screen saver or wallpaper on their computer and around one in seven have their pet as their Facebook profile picture.
The poll was carried out for a worming treatment in the United Kingdom.
