- More domestic animals at home may make a meat-free adulthood more likely
- Young adults were questioned about their history at a New York university
- A psychologist said owning pets increased opposition to animal exploitation
It’s well documented that looking after a pet encourages children to be responsible.
But it seems those hamsters and gerbils could also be influencing young carers’ eating habits in later life.
A study claims that giving a child a pet could ultimately turn them vegetarian. And the more domestic animals living under the family roof, the higher the chances of a child going meat-free in adulthood.
The more domestic animals living under the family roof, the higher the chances of a child going meat-free in adulthood. a study found
Psychologist Sydney Heiss, of the State University of New York at Albany, questioned 325 young adults about their diet and pet-owning history, with the results published in the journal Appetite.
She said: ‘Exposure to a greater number of different childhood pets leads to greater restriction of animal products from the diet through more positive attitudes towards animals and a moral opposition to animal exploitation.
‘Individuals who grew up around a greater variety of pets were more likely to engage in greater degrees of meat avoidance in adulthood.’