Loneliness and life satisfaction in pet owners: Differences across age, gender, and socioeconomic status

SOYUTLoneliness is closely associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and represents an important concern for psychological well-being. Although a growing body of research has examined pet ownership and well-being, relatively little is known about how loneliness and life satisfaction vary among pet owners in the Turkish context. The present study examined the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction among pet owners and explored whether these variables differed according to demographic characteristics. The sample consisted of 412 cat and dog owners aged 18 to 63 years (M = 28.57, SD = 9.51). Data were collected using the Life Satisfaction Scale and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults. Pearson correlation, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way analyses of variance were conducted. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction. Loneliness differed according to gender, age group, and perceived socioeconomic status, whereas life satisfaction differed according to age group, perceived socioeconomic status, and pet type. No significant differences were observed for some demographic comparisons. The findings contribute to the literature on loneliness, well-being, and human—animal interaction by demonstrating that psychological experiences among pet owners vary across demographic groups. The results also highlight the importance of considering demographic characteristics when examining loneliness and life satisfaction within pet-owning populations.