6 Minute English from the BBC.

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil and I'm Georgie.

It's said that your personality is reflected in your pet

an animal that you keep in your home as a companion and treat kindly. Dog people

are supposed to be friendly, enthusiastic and loyal, whereas cat people are introverted,

proud and sensitive.

Are you a dog person or a cat person, Neil?

Oh, I'm definitely a dog person, Georgie.

I want a pet that's friendly and loves me, not a lazy cat that sits around all day waiting for food.

Whether you're a dog person, a cat person, or have a goldfish, hamster or parrot for a pet,

the British are well known as a nation of animal lovers.

In the UK, 52% of owners described their pet as their best friend and in

2021, 18 million homes had at least one pet, meaning that for the first time there were more households

with a pet than without.

In this program we'll be hearing how our relationship with pets has changed over the centuries, and as usual we'll be learning some useful

new vocabulary as well. But first I have a question for you Georgie. Nowadays

thanks to the internet modern pets are getting online.

So what percent of dogs and cats in the UK do you think have their own social media profile?

Is it A, 7%, B, 17% or C 70%? It sounds crazy, but I'll guess 17% of British pets have their own social media account.

Okay, Georgie, we'll find out the answer later in the programme.

Cats using Instagram and dogs on Tik-Tok may be a strange new development, but our relationship with pets

has continually changed throughout history.

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