Smoky the Bear

I saw a statistic that a high percentage of pet owners are smokers. So if you own a pet, you’re more likely to smoke. I was wondering why this is so.

Is it the stress of the litter box or early morning pee walks that drives people over the edge? Or is it rebellion that causes the smoker to act out. Or is it the increasingly smoke-free world that makes smokers drawn to animals that won’t judge them.

I envision a bitter woman with an inch long ash hanging off of her Winston as she says, “You don't complain about my smoking, or smoky house, do you, Fluffy?”

And a more curious question is, do the owners stop smoking when the pet dies? And if they do abruptly stop smoking post-loss, do cravings overtake them? Do they spend the next several weeks annoyed, walking around nervously shaking and saying things like, “What I wouldn’t give for another cat.”