Dogs Left Home Alone - A National Pet Census Carried Out By Ceva Animal Health

A national pet census¹ carried out by Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of the leading veterinary behaviour products ADAPTIL™ for dogs (previously known as DAP) and Feliway® for cats, has revealed that more than 70% of pet owners leave their dog "home alone" when they are at work. While just 5% of dog owners put their pets in “day care”, the vast majority – 77% – prefer to leave their dogs alone for the majority of the working day. The online census, which pet owners were asked to complete at the same time as the National Census form, also revealed that cats won the popularity stakes by a long whisker with 57% of those questioned owning a cat and 42% owning a dog. In addition, more than half of the respondents have taken out an insurance policy for their pet and just 5% of dog and cat owners have a pet passport. And, out of everyone who responded to the survey, 75 per cent said they would like to see a section about pets in the next Census, due to be conducted in 2021. A Ceva spokesman said: “Our pet census has revealed a number of interesting statistics, including the fact that almost half of owners adopted their cat or dog from a rescue centre. “Feliway and ADAPTIL are used by both the Cats Protection and the Dogs Trust to help pets cope not only in catteries and kennels but also to adapt to their new home. The Dogs Trust currently fits an ADAPTIL Collar to every dog in its care. “Another surprising fact was the relatively small amount of pets with pet passports, however this may be due to more people taking pets on UK holidays, with more pet-friendly campsites and holiday homes now available.” The spokesman added: “Because there was an overwhelming response to pet owners wanting a section about pets in the next National Census, we are now going to petition MPs to have it included.” The survey’s findings are available at secrettohappypets.com. References 1 Online survey carried out in April 2011. 565 respondents.

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