https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200926145210.htm

Most people who took part in the research perceived their pets to be a source of considerable support during the lockdown period (23 March -- 1 June, 2020).

The study -- from the University of York and the University of Lincoln -- found that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reducing loneliness. Around 90 per cent of the 6,000 participants who were from the UK had at least one pet. The strength of the human-animal bond did not differ significantly between species with the most common pets being cats and dogs followed by small mammals and fish.