People would rather commission a portrait of their pets than their teenage children, a survey has revealed.
Beloved cats and faithful dogs also ranked higher than partners, parents and even mothers-in-law.
Only babies and young children were more popular than animals, according to portrait firm You Are Art.
Company founder Mark Berry said: "More and more of the commissions are of animals of all shapes and sizes, and our study shows they have become more popular than all relatives apart from the very young. It is very rare that someone wants a portrait of their mother-in-law."
The top ten most popular portrait subjects are: 1. Babies; 2. Children aged three to 13; 3. Pets; 4. Partners; 5. Teenagers; 6. Parents (bought by children still living at home); 7. Friends; 8. Aunts and uncles; 9. Fathers-in-law; 10. Mothers-in-law
