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A Quarter Of Owners Give Their Pets Away When They Move!

Author: CEVA
Posted: Thursday 13th May, 2010. 00:00:00

While pets are said to be an integral part of the family, almost a quarter of people (24%) admit to getting rid of their pet when they move home.

That’s according to new research commissioned by CEVA Animal Health, manufacturer of the leading veterinary behaviour products, D.A.P.® for dogs and Feliway® for cats, which revealed that people are giving their pets to family, friends, neighbours or even a rescue centre when the removals van turns up. Nearly 2% of people surveyed even admitted leaving their cat in the neighbourhood when they moved.

But perhaps we are sparing our pets from stress by giving them away. Cat behaviour counsellor Vicky Halls explains, “A house move can be a stressful experience, especially for cats. As territorial animals they find coping with a new environment particularly difficult and often display stress-related behaviours like urine spraying and scratch marking. While I would never advocate abandoning a cat, it may be that rehoming the animal in the area is the kindest thing to do and will avoid problems for both the cat and owner later on.”

The poll of more than 1,000 pet owners shows most people (65%) think moving home is equally as stressful or even more stressful for their pets as it is for them. Almost a fifth (16.3%) say it took their pet over two weeks to adjust to their new surroundings, with many pets becoming confused (27%), nervous (24%) or unhappy (19%).

Even the people who think they’re doing the best for their animals by putting them in a cattery or a kennel whilst they are on holiday may be causing stress for their furry friends. Almost half of pet owners (45%) claim their animals meowed or whined sadly, were agitated, shook or hid as a result.

For further information on D.A.P.® and Feliway®, please contact your local CEVA territory manager or visit www.dapfordogs.com or www.feliway.com.

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