Nearly a quarter of small business owners turn to their pets when they are stressed about work, according to a poll from Hitachi Capital Business Finance.
The research, which surveyed 4,966 small business owners, also revealed that 22% think cats and dogs were a bigger support than parents.
Dogs were regarded as a greater stress reliever in Scotland and the North West (18% each), while small business owners in the East Midlands were more likely to speak to their cats than their counsellor or family GP (1% and 5% retrospectively).
