Knowledge, attitudes and influencers of cat owners in North America around antimicrobials and antimicrobial stewardship

Abstract

Objectives The primary aims of this study were to determine preferences of North American cat owners when they are prescribed an antimicrobial for their cat with regard to cost, method of administration and the importance of antibiotics for treating infections in people, and to establish baseline knowledge, attitudes and influencers of cat owners on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Methods An online questionnaire was used for data collection from two cat-owner groups: US cat owners and Canadian cat owners. Participants were queried on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, and their preferences for their own cat when prescribed an antimicrobial, with respect to cost, method of drug administration and the importance of a drug for treating infections in people. Responses were evaluated through conjoint analysis and Likert-type questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics. Results A total of 630 complete responses were included in the final analysis. Cost (37%) and method of administration (38%) were of similar participant preference when assessed using conjoint analysis. The importance of a drug for treating infections in people was lower priority (21%). The majority of cat owners preferred an antimicrobial that was ‘very important’ in treating human infections. A low proportion (21%) of participants responded that antimicrobial use in pets posed a risk to humans. Participants with a university education were more likely to respond that antimicrobial use in pets was a concern for people (31%; P <0.001). Conclusions and relevance Cat owners prioritize antimicrobial cost and method of administration equally. Few cat owners recognized the human antimicrobial resistance risks associated with antimicrobial use in pets.

Online-Assisted Survey on Antibiotic Use by Pet Owners in Dogs and Cats

“…In a recent study from Australia, effectiveness was also considered more important to owners than ease of administration or costs; however, 55% of pet owners indicated that treatment should be as cheap as possible [69]. In contrast to the present investigation in Germany, in North America, dog owners mentioned costs as the most important factor (47%), followed by route of administration (31%) and relevance of the drug to human medicine (22%); while among cat owners, costs (37%) and route of administration (38%) were seen as relatively equally important, while relevance to human medicine was rated lower with 21% [24,25]. The majority of UK cat owners indicated they would also be happy to pay for diagnostics to find out the most effective antibiotic for treatment of their pet [26].…”

“…Overall, long-acting injections were always preferred over short-acting and thus usually multiple injections. In contrast, other studies showed that a single long-acting injection was preferred over tablet administrations by dog and cat owners [24][25][26]. In one study this was preferred, even if a long course of antibiotics was not regarded as necessary [26].…”

“…The inability to administer oral medications to the cat is the most frequently cited reason for cefovecin administration among UK cat owners, in one study [23]. Surveys among cat owners in the UK and owners of dogs and cats in North America have shown that a single long-acting injection is preferred over oral medication [24][25][26]. In the UK 29.6% of participating owners reported their cat received a long-acting injection when given antibiotics [26].…”

Six-Year Prescription Pattern of Antimicrobial Use in Cats at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Pisa

“…Moreover, most of the authors studying antimicrobials in pets [33,34,39,46,47] concluded that amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was by far the most frequently used systemic antimicrobial by oral route, confirming the results observed in our study. Similarly, the examination of cat owners in the article by Cazer et al [48] highlights that the owners show a preference for antimicrobials that are not only more cost-effective but also easier to administer [49]. The owners commonly sought specific antimicrobial formulations, especially liquids, based on their ease of administration.…”

Companion Animal Owners’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Antibiotic Use in Portugal

“…[ 43 ], increasing the use of open-ended questions during the veterinary appointment could yield valuable information about the client’s thoughts and expectations, improving compliance and narrowing the gap between the veterinarian and the client. Similarly, Stein et al [ 39 , 44 ] endorsed a solid understanding of pet owners’ preferences as a means to improve patient outcomes.…”