text: The average pet spends a staggering 21 hours a week watching TV, according to a new study. Owners admit they spend hours watching the box with their animals and even leave it on when they are out to keep them company. And the nation's cats, dogs and pigs show a marked preference for programmes featuring other animals while shunning reality shows such as the Keeping Up With The Kardashians and TOWIE. Paul O'Grady's show 'For the Love of Dogs' is an absolute television favourite of pets . Almost two thirds of goldfish owners, 63 per cent, even confess to putting the tank in sight of the TV so their fish can watch it for more than three and a half hours a day. The survey of 1,000 pet owners even found the owner of a micro pig lets their pet watch four hours of shows per day - or 28 hours a week. The new study by Virgin Media reveals how much our household pets love sitting in front of the box and watching their favourite TV programmes. Over a third of us, 34 per cent, say their pets watch three hours a day while left home alone - the equivalent of 42 episodes of EastEnders in a week. A quarter, 24 per cent, say their pets love watching TV so much they spend an incredible nine hours glued to it every day. Two-thirds of goldfish owners owned up to putting the bowl in sight of the TV and even the owner of a micro pig lets their pet watch 28 hours of TV a week . A survey has revealed that on average, pets watch 21 hours of TV of week, whether its with their owners or by themselves . A square-eyed one per cent of dogs are glued to the TV for over 10 hours. Owners heading off to work or spending the day out feel guilty for leaving their pet alone, as 29 per cent admit they turn on the TV as they believe their animal may get lonely without them. Pets’ favourite show is TV presenter Paul O’Grady’s For The Love Of Dogs as 17 per cent of animal owners said their pet can’t get enough of it. Documentary Natural World is a hit with pets as 14 per cent of owners say it’s their animals’ favourite show. Springwatch is pets’ third favourite show with 12 per cent of votes - and soap EastEnders is surprisingly fifth with 11 per cent. However, reality show Keeping up With The Kardashians is the least favourite show as only two per cent of pets like it - and just five per cent of animals like The Only Way is Essex. 1. For the Love of Dogs (17%) 2. Natural World (14%) 3. Springwatch (12%) 4. The Dog Whisperer (11%) 5. Eastenders (11%) 1. Keeping up with the Kardashians (2%) 2. The Only Way is Essex (5%) 3. The Voice (7%) 4. Top Gear (7%) 5. X Factor (10%)
target: Owners watch hours of TV with pets and leave it on to keep them company .
  Survey of 1,000 pet owners see For the Love of Dogs as favourite show .
  Keeping Up with the Kardashians is only liked by 2% of pets .