Table 5 Univariable and multivariable associations between pet ownership at ages 7, 11 and 15, and Key Stage 1 (KS1), Key Stage 2 (KS2) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) attainment

Reading (score)

Has any Pet

5760

-0.20 (-0.28, -0.11)

< 0.001*

-0.09 (-0.17, -0.02)

0.012*

Has Dog

5755

-0.36 (-0.46, -0.27)

< 0.001*

-0.17 (-0.25, -0.08)

< 0.001*

Has Cat

5755

-0.05 (-0.14, 0.03)

0.228

-0.01 (-0.09, 0.06)

0.726

Has other/miscellaneous pets

5755

-0.19 (-0.27, -0.12)

< 0.001*

-0.12 (-0.19, -0.06)

< 0.001*

Writing (score)

Has any Pet

5762

-0.21 (-0.29, -0.14)

< 0.001*

-0.13 (-0.19, -0.06)

< 0.001*

Has Dog

5757

-0.31 (-0.39, -0.23)

< 0.001*

-0.15 (-0.22, -0.08)

< 0.001*

Has Cat

5757

-0.08 (-0.15, -0.01)

0.035*

-0.04 (-0.10, 0.02)

0.170

Has other/miscellaneous pets

5757

-0.16 (-0.23, -0.09)

< 0.001*

-0.12 (-0.17, -0.06)

< 0.001*

Maths (score)

Has any Pet

5754

-0.16 (-0.24, -0.08)

< 0.001*

-0.07 (-0.14, -0.00)

0.041*

Has Dog

5749

-0.25 (-0.34, -0.16)

< 0.001*

-0.09 (-0.17, -0.02)

0.015*

Has Cat

5749

-0.11 (-0.18, -0.03)

0.007*

-0.07 (-0.13, 0.00)

0.054

Has other/miscellaneous pets

5749

-0.12 (-0.19, -0.04)

0.002*

-0.08 (-0.14, -0.02)

0.013*

Total summary score

Has any Pet

5756

-0.58 (-0.79, -0.36)

< 0.001*

-0.29 (-0.47, -0.11)

0.002*

Has Dog

5756

-0.93 (-1.16, -0.69)

< 0.001*

-0.41 (-0.61, -0.21)

< 0.001*

Has Cat

5756

-0.24 (-0.45, -0.03)

0.026*

-0.12 (-0.29, 0.05)

0.174

Has other/miscellaneous pets

5756

-0.49 (-0.68, -0.29)

< 0.001*

-0.32 (-0.48, -0.15)

< 0.001*

KS2

Subject

N

B (95% CI)

p

B (95% CI)

p

English (score)

Has any Pet

2035

-0.08 (-1.56, 1.40)

0.915

-0.20 (-1.56, 1.15)

0.770

Has Dog

2037

-2.23 (-3.61, -0.86)

0.001*

-1.75 (-3.03, -0.47)

0.007*

Has Cat

2037

-1.17 (-2.45, 0.11)

0.072

-1.02 (-2.18, 0.15)

0.087

Has other/miscellaneous pets

2037

0.35 (-0.86, 1.56)

0.565

0.67 (-0.44, 1.79)

0.237

Maths (score)

Has any Pet

2028

-2.48 (-4.41, -0.54)

0.012*

-1.34 (-3.13, 0.45)

0.142

Has Dog

2029

-2.95 (-4.75, -1.14)

0.001*

-2.27 (-3.95, -0.58)

0.009*

Has Cat

2029

-2.39 (-4.07, -0.71)

0.005*

-1.91 (-3.44, -0.37)

0.015*

Has other/miscellaneous pets

2029

-0.38 (-1.98, 1.21)

0.640

-0.02 (-1.48, 1.47)

0.998

Science (score)

Has any Pet

2032

-0.95 –(2.00, 0.10)

0.077

-0.36 (-1.34, 0.62)

0.467

Has Dog

2034

-1.55 (-2.54, -0.58)

0.002*

-1.04 (-1.96, -0.11)

0.028*

Has Cat

2034

-1.48 (-2.39, -0.57)

0.001*

-1.20 (-2.04, -0.37)

0.005*

Has other/miscellaneous pets

2034

0.08 (-0.78, 0.95)

0.850

0.36 (-0.45, 1.16)

0.387

Total summary score

Has any Pet

407

0.47 (-2.37, 3.31)

0.743

-0.40 (-3.06, 2.26)

0.768

Has Dog

407

-2.36 (-5.05, 0.32)

0.084

-1.63 (-4.19, 0.94)

0.215

Has Cat

407

-1.54 (-4.08, 0.99)

0.231

-0.46 (-2.76, 1.84)

0.698

Has other/miscellaneous pets

407

1.98 (-0.38, 4.34)

0.100

0.61 (-1.59, 2.82)

0.586

GCSE

OR (95% CI)

OR (95% CI)

Subject

English (A/A* versus B or lower)

Has any Pet

1990

0.85 (0.71, 1.02)

0.081

0.84 (0.67, 1.05)

0.131

Has Dog

1993

0.63 (0.52, 0.75)

< 0.001*

0.75 (0.59, 0.94)

0.014*

Has Cat

1993

1.03 (0.87, 1.23)

0.716

0.88 (0.071, 1.09)

0.256

Has other/miscellaneous pets

1994

0.78 (0.66, 0.93)

0.004*

0.87 (0.71, 1.08)

0.203

Maths (A/A* versus B or lower)

Has any Pet

1919

0.76 (0.63, 0.91)

0.003*

0.82 (0.66, 1.03)

0.089

Has Dog

1922

0.57 (0.48, 0.69)

< 0.001*

0.67 (0.54, 0.85)

0.001*

Has Cat

1922

0.85 (0.72, 1.02)

0.081

0.79 (0.63, 0.98)

0.035*

Has other/miscellaneous pets

1923

0.92 (0.77, 1.08)

0.305

1.03 (0.84, 1.27)

0.770

Biological Sciences (A/A* versus B or lower)

Has any Pet

490

0.65 (0.45, 0.95)

0.024*

0.63 (0.39, 0.99)

0.048*

Has Dog

490

0.73 (0.52, 1.04)

0.084

0.76 (0.48, 1.20)

0.237

Has Cat

490

0.88 (0.63, 1.25)

0.485

0.93 (0.59, 1.45)

0.750

Has other/miscellaneous pets

490

0.60 (0.43, 0.84)

0.003*

0.61 (0.40, 0.92)

0.019*

Chemistry (A/A* versus B or lower)

Has any Pet

478

0.56 (0.38, 0.82)

0.003*

0.46 (0.29, 0.73)

0.001*

Has Dog

478

0.65 (0.45, 0.92)

0.016*

0.63 (0.40, 0.99)

0.049*

Has Cat

478

0.83 (0.59, 1.17)

0.287

0.79 (0.52, 1.23)

0.305

Has other/miscellaneous pets

478

0.63 (0.45, 0.88)

0.007*

0.56 (0.37, 0.84)

0.005*

Physics (A/A* versus B or lower)

Has any Pet

475

0.76 (0.59, 0.97)

0.027*

0.86 (0.64, 1.16)

0.310

Has Dog

476

0.63 (0.49, 0.80)

< 0.001*

0.83 (0.61, 1.12)

0.228

Has Cat

476

0.82 (0.65, 1.05)

0.114

0.76 (0.57, 1.03)

0.075

Has other/miscellaneous pets

476

0.85 (0.68, 1.06)

0.153

1.01 (0.76, 1.34)

0.935

Achieved 5 GCSEs A*-C

Has any Pet

2010

0.89 (0.72, 1.09)

0.249

0.94 (0.73, 1.21)

0.634

Has Dog

2013

0.65 (0.54, 0.79)

< 0.001*

0.76 (0.60, 0.96)

0.023*

Has Cat

2013

1.06 (0.88, 1.29)

0.527

1.02 (0.80, 1.29)

0.873

Has other/miscellaneous pets

2014

0.89 (0.75, 1.07)

0.224

0.97 (0.78, 1.22)

0.818