51 Percent of American Pet Parents Say their Pets Have Interrupted "Intimate Time"
Rebecca West
Have you ever gotten the feeling you were being watched? It's an odd sensation one might compare to their Spidey senses tingling. It can happen under a number of circumstances, but when it does, you're usually correct. It's a sixth sense of sorts.
Most pet parents have had it happen at one time or another: things are getting hot and heavy in the boudoir when something seems off. Or maybe something appears in your peripheral vision. It can startle you at first, and then you realize it's your dog staring intently at the performance playing out before them.
Performance Anxiety?
The sightings can be met with a laugh or a discouraging admonishment, depending on how badly it freaks you out to be center stage for a furry voyeur or just a bored, curious pup. If this has happened to you, and it likely has if you're sexually active, you're not among the few. In fact, according to a recent survey from the pet-sitting service Rover, 51 percent of American pet owners admit their pets have interrupted them during intimate acts with a romantic partner.
Our pets likely have no idea what's happening and they just want to be near us, but for some people it's such a mood killer that it results in the animal being driven from the room with the door promptly shut behind them. And it is distracting, especially when they rest their chins on the edge of the mattress and observe you with the intensity of a scientist splitting atoms.
What Cha Doin'?
The 1,000-person online survey also found that 42 percent of pet owners note that they'd have more opportunities for intimacy if their pet(s) couldn't interrupt them during romantic interludes. To take it a step further, some proactive and determined pet owners (21 percent) admit to booking a pet-care service specifically to keep their dog from disturbing them while they're in the throes of passion.
There is some serious disconcertment going on on the part of an individual that would go to these lengths, but whatever works.
Sex and Better Health
All joking aside, alone time with an intimate partner is vital for a healthy relationship. If your dog regularly interrupts or you can't keep the cat off the bed while the two of you are in it, toss them some treats or toys that will last a while and shut them out. If you're worried they'll whine outside of it or claw the door, put them in the yard, if you have one, or turn the TV on in the living room with the volume up. Otherwise, you might be looking at calling a sitter.
