Promoting subjective well-being through pet leisure: motivation, participation, and place attachment in urban spaces

Abstract

While pet ownership is increasingly recognized as a vital contributor to human well-being, the specific behavioral and psychological mechanisms linking pet-related activities to owner happiness remain underexplored. This study establishes an empirical framework to investigate how pet leisure shapes human subjective well-being (SWB) through the lens of leisure theory and environmental psychology. Specifically, we examine the structural relationships among Pet Leisure Motivation (PLM), Pet Leisure Participation Degree (PLD), and Place Attachment (PA). Utilizing a robust mixed-methods design, we analyzed a primary dataset of 1719 valid responses via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Crucially, to rigorously capture the reciprocal and causal dynamics over time, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was employed for longitudinal data analysis, supplemented by qualitative text analysis. The cross-sectional results demonstrate that PLM significantly predicts PLD, which in turn positively associates with PA, with PA serving as a critical mediating mechanism that enhances SWB. Furthermore, the RI-CLPM successfully untangles the within-person and between-person effects, supporting the temporal precedence and longitudinal predictive associations among the core behavioral variables. These findings provide multi-dimensional empirical evidence for the psychological benefits of pet leisure, offering practical implications for designing supportive urban spaces and community environments to enhance public mental health.