With pets increasingly seen as fur children or cherished family members, it’s no surprise that 91% of PD Insurance policyholders consider their dogs and cats when making major life decisions such as moving home, travelling, or even changing jobs.

This is just one thought-provoking insight from PD Insurance’s latest biannual pet parent survey. The pet insurance specialist aimed to discover how pet parenting differs across generations, how our attitudes toward pets evolve, and the differences in approaches between Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z.

More than 1,500 pet owners weighed in and while some findings might be expected, others come as a complete surprise.

For this research, the generations are categorised as: 

• Baby Boomers – aged 60 to 78
• Generation X – aged 44 to 59
• Millennials – aged 28 to 43
• Generation Z – aged 18 to 27

“No, we’re not looking to stoke any intergenerational fires,” laughs Michelle Le Long, PD Insurance COO. “But rather, we’re looking for common ground and how pets fit into families from one generation to another.”

Pets as children and beloved family members

The biggest surprise? It’s Gen Z who are most likely to consider their dogs and cats as children. “This finding made us look twice,” confesses Le Long. “Most might assume that Baby Boomers would predominantly view pets as replacement children in an empty nest.”

Additionally, 28.9% of Millennials also think of their pets as children. (In our April 2024 survey 36 respondents reported purchasing a pet stroller for their fur child). While not deemed children, nearly four-fifths (77.9%) of Baby Boomers consider their pets to be beloved family members. Gen X is a fraction behind at 77.8%.

When asked, ‘Do you think of your pet(s) as substitutes for having children’, almost 50% of Gen Z and Millennials collectively answered ‘yes, definitely’, or ‘yes, somewhat’.

Intergenerationally, the notion of ‘fur kids / beloved family members’, or pets on an equal footing with human children is absolutely growing. And fast!” states Le Long.

Pets as substitutes for children?

“Ah, the big question,” laughs Le Long. “And one where you’d expect – and we found – a big variation between the generations. That’s because many of us will think of our pets as direct substitutes for children right up to the point that we actually have children.”

Generation Z didn’t disappoint, with 25% saying ‘yes definitely’ to pets as child substitutes and a further 38% adding ‘for now’. Among Millennials, 23% said ‘yes definitely’ with 8% in the ‘for now’ category. There’s a notable drop for Gen X with 20% saying ‘yes definitely’ and Baby Boomers were the least likely to describe their pets as children, with 40% saying ‘no, not at all.

Treats for the fur children

Splurging on the kids is a time-honoured tradition and with pets being treated as children, there’s no surprise that the fur children get priority in the budget. Setting aside vet bills, Gen X leads the pack in spending, with a staggering 21.7% spending more than $3,000 on their fur babies every year.

Millennials aren’t far behind, with 20.3% and Gen Z is also generous with 18.2% allocating a big chunk of change to their fur children. Only 10.2% of Baby Boomers allocate so much in their budgets.  

“That’s staggering,” says Le Long, “But notably, people across generations are very good to their pets as is clear in the vast percentage affording significant spend to fur children.”

That’s clear in the other end of the question asking, ‘Excluding vet bills, how much do you estimate you spend on your pet/s in a year?’. For Generation Z, 79.5% spend more than $1000, going up to 85.7% of Millennials, 84.1% of Gen X, and 75.6% of Baby Boomers.

Pets in the workplace (and quality conversations)

For some time, PD Insurance has noted the trend of bringing pets into the workplace, and there’s even a ‘Take Your Dog to Work Day’ that took place on 21 June this year. An earlier survey from April 2024 showed that only 13% of respondents were allowed to bring pups to work, while nearly 30% said they’d be willing to take a pay cut for the privilege.

But how do the generations view this growing trend? No surprise, perhaps, that Gen Z is top of the pops for pups in the office, with 78% in favour. Close behind, 71% of Millennials give the idea the thumbs up, dropping to 67% for GenX and 65% for Baby Boomers.

“There’s a growing body of research indicating that pets in the workplace can help defuse stress,” says Le Long, “and it’s safe to say the younger generations are keen on the idea. It must be noted, though, that not all workplaces are right for a pet, and not all pets are suitable for an office job either!”

Looking for quality conversations? Sometimes pets are just the best for listening, and it turns out Millennials are most likely to chat away like the dogs and cats understand every word, with 92.5% saying this is them. Mind you, never mind the specific generation – most pet lovers love a good old chinwag with the fur children, with 90.9% of Gen Z, 89.1% of Gen X and 85.2% of Baby Boomers humouring.

Cosying up with the fur children

It’s not just an office dog (or cat) that can boost morale, there’s emerging evidence that letting pets share your bed offers mental and physical benefits. But how do the generations approach sleeping arrangements?

Those between 18 and 27 years are most likely to accede, with 64.8% of Gen Z being okay with the pup or kitty competing for the covers. There’s a fair drop to Millennials; just over half (50.2%) of whom allow pets to sleep on the bed, down to 49.3% of Gen X and 44.3% of Baby Boomers.

“Younger generations may find comfort and companionship in sharing their bed with pets,” says Le Long. “But perhaps over time, many of us start to value having a bit more space at night.”

Life decisions and fur family members

Additional generational insights further reinforce Le Long’s contention. When the survey asked if people consider pets when making major life decisions like moving, travelling or changing jobs, Boomers and Gen X are overwhelmingly looking out for fur babies at 90.3% and 89.9% respectively. That went up to 93% of Millennials, and 96.6% of Gen Z.

However, across generations, Le Long says the biannual PD Insurance survey has shown one consistent finding: we all love our pets, lots. “That’s a clear result: PD pet parents treasure their pets, no matter the generation to which they belong.”

Media contact 

Leandri Smith – The Mail Room 
027 365 9003 | [email protected]  

About PD Insurance (pd.co.nz)

pd.co.nz is a pet insurance specialist that offers low cost, high value pet insurance. The company’s goal is to empower pet parents to make easy, quick, care-based decisions around their pet’s health without worrying about cost. Unique to pd.co.nz is its month-to-month payment model whereby customers aren’t locked into a contract, so they can cancel anytime without penalty.

The company is committed to a fast and fair claims service, aiming for resolution within two business days of receiving all documentation. As with all Badger International brands, the essence of the pd.co.nz customer service philosophy is Simplicity (in service delivery) and Soft Landings (a commitment to providing customers a gentle landing in times of need).

Headquartered in Auckland, pd.co.nz employs a local team of animal lovers who provide support such as sales, marketing, and operations. The company is a division of Pacific International Insurance and wholly owned by Badger International NZ LP.

Recognising every animal deserves to be well cared for, pd.co.nz is the proud Principal Partner of Healthy Pets New Zealand, a charity established in 1998 by the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Companion Animal Branch to draw attention to the ‘big health and welfare issues of Kiwi pets’.

It is also principal partner of Dogs New Zealand, the country’s national kennel club. Together they share a mission to inform, educate and raise awareness of responsible dog ownership in New Zealand – a country that recognises dogs are an integral part of society.