A new study involving about 2,500 pet owners and 3,300 pets, has explored the dynamics of owner–pet attachment and its impact on mental wellbeing. The research, a first of its kind, considered both the personalities of pets and their owners, revealing how attachment styles (anxious and avoidant) relate to the mental wellbeing of both parties. Anxiously attached owners tend to have heightened needs for proximity, whereas avoidantly attached owners seek independence.
