Demography and determinants of dog and cat ownership in three towns of West Shoa zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background The dog and cat population data is generally scarce in developing countries due to absence of surveys. The demography of owned dogs and cats, and the associated ownership characteristics, are essential for the control of pet population and zoonosis. This study was conducted in three towns of West Shoa Zone of Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing demographic characteristics of owned dogs and cats and determinants of ownership. Results About 65.1% (95% CI: 62.1–69.8%) of the householders own dogs, 39.2% (95% CI: 35.8–43.8%) own cats, and 30.6% (95% CI: 27.4–35.0%) own both. The majority of the dog-owning households own a single dog (74.8%) and cat (74.9%). There were significantly higher proportion of dog and cat-owning households in Bako than Ambo and Gojo towns. The human to owned-dog ratio was 6:1, and that of cat ratio was 10:1. There were more male dogs (72.1%) and more female cats (59.7%). The male to female sex ratio was estimated at 3:1 for the dog while nearly 1:1 for cats. About 37.5% of the owned dogs were indoor, and 62.5% have free access to outside. Dogs and cats were acquired as a gift from families, neighbors, and friends. The identified reason for not owning dogs/cats were fear of zoonosis, dislike, no time to devote, benefit not realized, and shortage of finance. Logistic regression analysis identified study town, community type, gender of head of household, ownership of other animals as determinants for dog/cat ownership. Besides, possessing dogs was significantly associated with cat ownership. Conclusion The current study provide insights into the determinants of dogs/cats ownership and their demographic characteristics in Ethiopia. Dogs are more commonly owned, but the household determinants for dog and cat ownership were comparable. Means of obtaining and reason of owning or abandoning dogs/cats is partly different from those reported in the developed countries. The results of this study could be used for the provision of veterinary services, quantifying health risks and benefits associated with dog/cat ownership, and control of pet population and related zoonosis.

Prevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. infections in apparently healthy dogs in west Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

“…These might suggest the ubiquitous nature of the parasites and that these factors have a similar risk of infection as reported by other researchers elsewhere [35,38,39,43]. Besides, the lack of association of T. gondii seropositivity with breed and sex of dogs might have probably be overshadowed by the high exposure to the parasite at a very young age [30,33]. In agreement with the present study, Kalayou et al [14] also reported the absence of a significant association between sex, housing, and place of residence and L. donovani seroprevalence in dogs of northwest Ethiopia.…”

“…This might indicate that climate considerably influences the risk of T. gondii exposure. The warm and moist environment coupled with the more abundance of cats [30] and the source of infection for dogs (cats, the meat of infected domestic or wild animals containing tissue cysts) in Bako town might explain the higher seroprevalence. It has been well documented that seroprevalence varies according to the density of cats and intermediate hosts [19], geographical location, and even within the same region from place to place.…”

Owned and free-roaming dogs in the North West of Tunisia: estimation, characteristics and application for the control of dog rabies

“…Male dogs were slightly more abundant than the female dogs and the sex ratio was estimated at 1.2 (rural site) and 1.3 (urban site) as for other reports ( Tschopp et al., 2016 ; Kardjadj et al., 2019 ; Tasiame et al., 2019 ). Such imbalance can be explained by the fact that female dogs are euthanized by their owners to avoid disturbance during the breeding season ( Pal, 2001 ; Gebremedhin et al., 2020 ). In addition, others reported that dog owners prefer males to females because they attribute to them better capabilities on their duties of guarding and farming ( Kitala et al., 2001 ).…”

Geographical distribution of ixodid ticks and tick-borne pathogens of domestic animals in Ethiopia: a systematic review

“…Donkeys, mules, and horses provide pack and transportation services in both urban and rural settings [ 5 , 6 ]. Dogs and cats are companion animals; in addition, dogs provide guard services [ 7 ]. Nevertheless, many factors hamper their optimal socioeconomic contribution, as parasitism in general, and ixodid ticks and associated pathogens in particular, poses substantial health threats to these animals.…”