Why Can’t I Resist Those “Puppy Dog” (or “Kitty Cat”) Eyes? A Study of Owner Attachment and Factors Associated with Pet Obesity

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Attachment theory has become widely used in research on human-animal interactions. However, the majority of this research has examined how individual differences in attachment affect how humans seek care and comfort from animals. The current paper examines an additional component of attachment theory—the caregiving component. Specifically, the aim of the study was to understand how individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance predict factors associated with pet obesity including pet weight, body condition, daily treats, and daily interactions. An online survey with recruitment via social media captured the responses of dog and cat owners. As expected, all of the associations between owner attachment and factors associated with pet obesity were mediated by the owner’s concerns that a pet may negatively evaluate them and the owner self-reported caregiving and attentiveness. That said, the results indicate that higher levels of attachment anxiety were associated with dog and cat owners providing a greater number of daily treats and more daily interaction, and a larger body condition for dogs. In addition, higher levels of attachment avoidance were associated with dog (but not cat) owners giving fewer treats and less daily interaction. Interestingly, despite these relationships, pet weight was not associated with owner attachment. Although the effects presented in the present paper are relatively small, they are nonetheless important, as continuing to understand how differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance are related to care-giving behavior and pet obesity may provide for novel interventions that veterinarians can use to improve pet well-being and may provide avenues for future research. ABSTRACT: Attachment theory posits that patterns of interaction derived from the attachment system provide a starting point for understanding how people both receive and provide care. Extending this theory to human-animal interactions provides insights into how human psychology affects pets, such as pet obesity. The goal of this study was to determine how attachment anxiety and avoidance might contribute to pet obesity. We assessed 563 pet owners’ attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, as well as additional attachment-related constructs (emotional rejection, evaluation concern, caregiving, and attentiveness to a pet). We also assessed various factors associated with pet obesity, including weight, body condition, daily treats, and daily interaction. The results indicate that dog owners high in attachment anxiety are concerned about how their pet may evaluate them, leading to more caregiving and attentiveness that results in more treats given per day, and a larger body condition (but not weight). In addition, owners high in attachment avoidance may seek to downplay the possibility of the dog negatively evaluating them, thus providing more negligent care. These findings suggest that attachment plays a unique role in shaping the pet-caregiver relationship and influences various elements that contribute to pet obesity, particularly in dogs. As such, the findings may lend a novel perspective to strategies for reducing pet obesity and provide a framework for future research into pet health.