The RSPCA expressed amused scepticism at the findings. A spokesman told www.vnunet.com that the organisation would be "pretty shocked" if the figures were accurate.
He questioned how many of the 36 percent who said they would not be upset by losing a pet actually owned pets.
"We deal with a wide range of animal abuse, but these are a very small percentage of the population. In the vast majority of cases the British public are very caring of their pets," said the spokesman.
According to the survey, 27 percent of people described their mobile as a 'treasured possession', and 56 percent admitted that their phone was 'very important' to them.
The survey also claimed that women are more attached to their mobiles than men; some 69 percent of women said that losing their phone would make them 'upset' compared to 62 percent of men.
"Mobiles do not just contain information that it would be inconvenient or embarrassing to lose, such as phone numbers or personal text messages," said Lifeline spokesman Anthony Caie.
"Increasingly they hold items of sentimental value, such as photos, videos and music."
Further research by Carphone Warehouse discovered that 84 percent of household insurance policies do not cover mobiles phones as standard, and almost never provide cover for calls made on a stolen mobile.
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iTnews Executive Retreat - Security Leaders Edition
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