ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to provide deeper insight into the relationship between pet-related life events and the subjective wellbeing of pet owners, as well as to analyze definitions of happiness that included reference to pets. This research was conducted online as a part of the Croatian Longitudinal Study on Wellbeing (CRO-WELL). For the purposes of this study, the following variables were selected: overall happiness, life satisfaction, subjective ratings of health, and the occurrence and parameters (positivity, negativity, importance, anticipation) of two pet-related life events: acquiring a pet and the death of a pet during the previous year. Additionally, of a pool of lay people’s definitions of happiness (n = 4,059), those containing a reference to pets (n = 89) were analyzed. The total sample consisted of 5,034 participants, of whom 658 acquired a pet in the past year, 272 experienced the death of a pet, and an additional 221 experienced both events. Participants who experienced the death of a pet during the previous year were significantly less happy and satisfied compared with those who did not obtain a pet and did not experience the death of a pet in the previous year. Overall happiness was weakly positively correlated with positive evaluations of obtaining a pet and the importance of obtaining a pet. The anticipation of the death of a pet was positively related to positive evaluations of the death of the animal, suggesting an adaptation process took place before the death. Participants who attributed less importance to an event were more likely to experience positive events (obtaining a pet) as less positive and negative events (death of a pet) as less negative. Participants who anticipated an event evaluated it as more positive and less negative. Out of 4,059 participants who provided definitions of happiness, 89 (2.2%) of them included pets in these definitions. Over half of them referred to the pet as the most important member of the family or was equal to other family members, while in the remaining definitions pets were only a part/fragment of a broader definition of happiness. Participants referred mostly to dogs or used the generic word “pet,” while cats, the only animal named beside dogs, were mentioned in only a few cases. Greeting the owner was the most frequently mentioned activity, while the joy of a pet and unconditional love were the most frequently mentioned emotions.

中文翻译：

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开始，结束，以及两者之间的所有幸福：宠物主人从获得宠物到死亡的幸福

摘要 本研究的目的是更深入地了解与宠物相关的生活事件与宠物主人主观幸福感之间的关系，并分析包括宠物在内的幸福定义。这项研究是在线进行的，是克罗地亚福利纵向研究 (CRO-WELL) 的一部分。出于本研究的目的，选择了以下变量：总体幸福感、生活满意度、健康的主观评价，以及两个与宠物相关的生活事件的发生和参数（积极性、消极性、重要性、预期）：获得宠物和宠物在前一年死亡。此外，在非专业人士对幸福的定义池 (n = 4,059) 中，分析了包含宠物 (n = 89) 的定义。总样本包括 5,034 名参与者，其中 658 人在过去一年中获得了宠物，272 人经历了宠物死亡，另有 221 人经历了这两种事件。与未获得宠物且未经历宠物死亡的参与者相比，在前一年经历过宠物死亡的参与者的幸福感和满意度明显较低。总体幸福感与获得宠物的积极评价和获得宠物的重要性呈弱正相关。对宠物死亡的预期与对动物死亡的积极评价呈正相关，表明在死亡之前发生了适应过程。认为事件重要性较低的参与者更有可能经历积极事件（获得宠物）的积极事件和消极事件（宠物死亡）的消极事件。预期事件的参与者将其评价为更积极和消极。在提供幸福定义的 4,059 名参与者中，其中 89 人（2.2%）在这些定义中包括宠物。超过一半的人将宠物称为家庭中最重要的成员或与其他家庭成员平等，而在其余定义中，宠物只是更广泛的幸福定义的一部分/片段。参与者大多提到狗或使用通用词“宠物”，而猫是唯一在狗旁边命名的动物，仅在少数情况下被提及。问候主人是最常被提及的活动，而宠物的喜悦和无条件的爱是最常被提及的情感。059 名参与者提供了幸福的定义，其中 89 人（2.2%）在这些定义中包括宠物。超过一半的人将宠物称为家庭中最重要的成员或与其他家庭成员平等，而在其余定义中，宠物只是更广泛的幸福定义的一部分/片段。参与者大多提到狗或使用通用词“宠物”，而猫是唯一在狗旁边命名的动物，仅在少数情况下被提及。问候主人是最常被提及的活动，而宠物的喜悦和无条件的爱是最常被提及的情感。059 名参与者提供了幸福的定义，其中 89 人（2.2%）在这些定义中包括宠物。超过一半的人将宠物称为家庭中最重要的成员或与其他家庭成员平等，而在其余定义中，宠物只是更广泛的幸福定义的一部分/片段。参与者大多提到狗或使用通用词“宠物”，而猫是唯一在狗旁边命名的动物，仅在少数情况下被提及。问候主人是最常被提及的活动，而宠物的喜悦和无条件的爱是最常被提及的情感。而在其余定义中，宠物只是更广泛的幸福定义的一部分/片段。参与者大多提到狗或使用通用词“宠物”，而猫是唯一在狗旁边命名的动物，仅在少数情况下被提及。问候主人是最常被提及的活动，而宠物的喜悦和无条件的爱是最常被提及的情感。而在其余定义中，宠物只是更广泛的幸福定义的一部分/片段。参与者大多提到狗或使用通用词“宠物”，而猫是唯一在狗旁边命名的动物，仅在少数情况下被提及。问候主人是最常被提及的活动，而宠物的喜悦和无条件的爱是最常被提及的情感。