An exclusive survey by Talker Research for Newsweek revealed that pets aren't always the perfectly well-behaved fur babies owners make them out to be and instead can cause quite the headache.
Pets are often viewed as members of the family, but like humans they make mistakes and can get themselves in trouble. And thanks to the survey, conducted between October 22 and 28, pet parents might give a sigh of relief that their animal isn't the only one that misbehaves.
The survey results found that pets were more mischievous than not. About 23 percent of owners labeled their pets as "extremely mischievous," while 43 percent were "somewhat mischievous." Meanwhile, only 10 percent considered their pets "not mischievous at all."
The survey, which was given to 2,000 Americans of different generations, asked owners to share the biggest mess or most unexpected thing their pets have done, and the results did not disappoint. From hilarious to frustrating, pets have just about done it all.
Of those surveyed who responded to the question, one occurrence kept repeating: pets having accidents inside. This answer made up about a quarter of all the other incidents.
Owners shared horror stories of their cats and dogs going to the bathroom inside the house. Some cats dug through their litter box, kicking it out onto the floor. Other responses concerned pets that had an upset stomach and defecated throughout the home. Both incidents demanded a cleanup that no one was thrilled about.
Another common behavior associated with misbehaved pets was ripping up pillows and shoes. Or "torn up the couch." The reason for this destructive behavior is typically linked to separation anxiety, boredom or compulsive chewing habits, according to the website Wag.
Someone responded that their pet ate a laptop, Bible, two chargers and a pillowcase when home alone. It all happened within 30 minutes.
One pet disaster left the owners dealing with a flooded home. The owner wrote: "Our dog broke our water bed while we were out of town and flooded our whole house."
Another person wrote: "I was tied up at work and apparently my cat was upset by how long I had been gone. He knocked over the trash and spread it throughout the apartment."
Pets will even find unexpected items that they chew or destroy. A response in the survey said one pet "plucked" the keys off a keyboard.
Another response: "When she got into my yarn and spread it all over. It was so tangled up I had to throw it away."
Luckily, this unwanted pet behavior didn't leave a bad taste in most owners' mouths. According to the survey, 20 percent ranked their pets' "escapades or misadventures" as a 1 on a scale of 10, with 1 meaning it was harmless, had no long-term damage and even made them laugh.
On the opposite end of the scale, 3 percent of those surveyed considered what happened "very serious."
The random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Newsweek and conducted between October 22 and 28. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research.
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