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Choose your pet wisely if you're looking for romance, because 72 percent of singles say that animals make a difference as to whether or not they would date someone.

 

If you don't want your pet to interfere with your love life, you're best off owning a hamster or guinea-pig. A YouGov poll found that just 10 percent of women and 13 percent of men would be turned off if they found out a new date lived with those small animals.

 

Surprisingly, not cats or dogs -- but parrots -- are the next best choice if you want to keep it simple with a prospective love interest. 

 

Even though they're considered man's best friend -- 28% of men would 'feel less inclined to date' someone who they learnt was a dog-owner. One in four guys (25 percent) would be hesitant to get with a cat-owner.

If you choose to own a squirmier pet, make sure you're really in love with it -- because it's unlikely you'll get lucky with anyone else. Owning spiders and snakes are the biggest turn-offs for both sexes; 53% of women would blow off a spider-owner, 46% say no if you have a snake and 44% shut the door to rat-keepers. Men had the same turnoffs, but to a lesser degree.

TOP FIVE TURNOFFS
 

These pets are the most likely to be deal breakers in a relationship (in order):
 

Spiders 

Snakes

Rats 

Ferrets

Lizards