According to MORE TH>N pet insurance, men aren't just upset by the loss of a pet, 13% of them take a week or more off work if their pet is lost or stolen.

Notably, that compares to just 5% of women who have taken that much time off work to get over the upset caused by a pet going missing or being stolen.

According to the company, men are also more likely to cancel social engagements if a pet goes missing (15%) compared to women (12%).

In addition, men are prepared to spend more trying to find their pet than women, with almost 20% prepared to spend between £100 and £1000 for the safe return of an animal, compared to 14% of women.

Chartered psychologist, Beverly Stone said: "These findings highlight the inherent differences between men and women. Whereas women tend to fear for the potential loss of their pet when it goes missing and mourns the loss if their pet dies, a man not only experiences a similar fear and mourning but may also feel a strong sense of responsibility.

"As a consequence, they are likely to feel that they have failed to protect their pet. Men need more time to get over the guilt, and they would not want to be exposed to people asking what happened in social events, if they feel responsible''.

The research, conducted amongst 3000 British pet owners in March 2011, also revealed that a third of pet owners do not invest in pet insurance.  

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