UK Pet Insurance News

Friday, August 26, 2005

 

More Than pet insurance highlights cats and dogs suffering home alone

UK vets have raised concerns over how many cats and dogs are being left at home on their own, according to research by More Than pet insurance. This could be due to a number of reasons such as longer working hours and lengthy commuting times in the UK.

According to the survey, which interviewed 350 vets and 1,700 pet owners nationwide, eight out of ten vets have seen cases of pets with behavioural problems because they have been left 'home alone', despite the fact 70% of pet owners wanted their animal for companionship. Nearly one in five pet owners also admit to changes in their pet?s behaviour from leaving them alone.

Pet health experts have highlighted an increase in conditions that are often associated with humans such as stress and depression: just over a quarter of pets have suffered from some form of behavioural problem. The main reason for these problems highlighted in the survey was people leaving pets alone followed by, new baby entering the household, the loss of a family member and separation of owners.

Sophie de Pelet, Veterinary Advisor for MORE TH>N, comments: "Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that man?s best friend is often left alone for long periods of time when pet owners go out to work: it can be extremely stressful for animals, especially dogs who like company. Typical symptoms that show signs of stress in cats and dogs are destructive behaviour and excessive barking or yowling. More worryingly, persistent anxiety can contribute to long-term illness.

"It is not always practical to spend lots of time at home with your pets, so I would suggest that owners spend quality time with them before they go to work and visit at lunch time if possible. Dogs should ideally not be left alone for longer than 4-5 hours. With cats it is more difficult to specify a time period but beware, if they are not getting companionship at home they may well up-root and move in elsewhere!"

MORE TH>N has produced a guide to responsible pet ownership titled 'Pets Home Alone' so that owners can ensure their pets do not suffer when they are out of the house.

Brendan Humphrey, Managing Director of Petpals, one of the UK?s leading professional pet and home care services companies, comments: "There has been a huge increase in demand for the services we provide such as home pet visits, dog walking and pet sitting. Many of our customers are people with busy lives that cannot spend the time that they would like with their pets."

MORE TH>N research shows that 95% of vets believe that pet insurance is a responsible thing for owners to have. Insurance provides peace of mind that they can afford vet?s bills should their animal become ill.

posted by UK Insurance Index  @ 11:15 PM

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