The Ideal Care Robot for Dogs vs. Cats Based on an Online Survey

Abstract

Companion animals have been our social partners since ancient times. These animals, particularly dogs and cats, are also kept in households as family members. However, fewer people are able to take care of animals at home due to the increasing numbers of nuclear families and dual-income households. To investigate the need for care robots for companion animals, we conducted an online survey with dog and cat owners. In total, 1,521 and 1,219 people who have ever kept dogs and cats, respectively, completed our online survey. The results show that dog owners would prefer a humanoid care robots robot for dogs over machine-like robots, whereas cat owners showed the opposite preference; the results were statistically significant. In addition, there was a significant difference between dog and cat owners regarding owners' desires for a care robot to walk the animal outside.