The Impact of COVID on Cat Guardians: Veterinary Issues

Abstract

The onset of COVID has impacted the field of veterinary medicine and the lives of cat guardians in numerous ways, yet the subject remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to better understand cat guardians’ fears and concerns pertaining to veterinary care and obtainment of pet care products and food during the initial lock down phase of the COVID pandemic to better address these concerns now and in the future. To this end, an anonymous online survey was distributed to cat guardians during the first two months of the pandemic. The survey included questions pertaining to guardians’ relationship with their cat and their veterinary related concerns and experiences as a result of the pandemic. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 956 participants. The results revealed that the increased amount of time guardians spent with their cat had a positive impact on their bond. Participants’ veterinary related concerns, particularly for participants between 18-29 years of age, centered around availability of their veterinarian for both emergency and non-emergency care. Other concerns included fears about the ability to afford emergency veterinary care and obtain cat food and supplies. Awareness of these concerns can help veterinarians better support cat guardians by directly communicating their continued availability and presence in the face of a pandemic as well as other challenging times.

The Psychosocial Influence of Companion Animals on Positive and Negative Affect during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This paper focuses on the survey questions pertaining to the impact of dogs and cats on guardians' COVID-related feelings. Other aspects of the study (e.g., changes in time spent with companion animals and the impact of these changes; concerns related to caring for a companion animal, veterinary care, and the ability to obtain and afford pet supplies) have been reported previously [50,51]. Participants included an international sample of cat and dog guardians over the age of 18.…”

“…Fears intensified as the number of cases grew exponentially and scientific knowledge of the means of transmission was limited and contradictory [2]. To mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, numerous governmental agencies issued public health mandates requiring Research conducted during the initial months of COVID-19 has shown that while many companion animal guardians were worried about being able to provide for their companion animal and access veterinary medical services [48][49][50][51][52][53][54], they were grateful for the increased quality time with them and reflected on how their companion animal offered a decreased sense of loneliness [49,54,55]. Given the strong connections people have with their companion animals, and the potential benefits of companion dogs and cats, this study hypothesized that companion dogs and cats would positively impact guardians' mental health.…”

The New Status Quo: Enhancing Access to Human–Animal Interactions to Alleviate Social Isolation & Loneliness in the Time of COVID-19

“…Aware of this possibility, many pet owners had concerns about the implications of COVID-19 and its aftermath on their animals. In a 2020 study [17], roughly 62% of dog-owning participants worried about their ability to go on walks while social isolation was necessary, while cat owners tended to be more concerned with not being able to access the vet and/or medications their cat needed [42]. Interestingly, a separate study suggested that dog owners working from home during the pandemic were more likely to socialize with others, achieve a healthy amount of activity, and take at least one 15-minute walk during the workday than people without dogs [28].…”

July 2021

“…Early research on dogs in the United Kingdom suggests that daily activities for dogs such as walking outside have been reduced (Christley et al 2021). In addition, owners expressed concerns about limited veterinary visits and other physical changes due to lockdowns (Kogan et al 2021a, Ratschen et al 2020 and specific concerns about the affordability of care for companion animals (Kogan et al 2021b). Bowen and co-authors (2020) suggest that, in addition to human stress that increased during the pandemic, companion animals may also display signs of increased stress.…”