Our continual struggle to balance work, family and leisure time is making pets as stressed as their owners.
The Blue Cross animal welfare charity, says that competition for resources, such as quiet space and owners’ attention can result in pets becoming more stressed and anxious, leading to illnesses in animals and more animals being given up for rehoming.
Blue Cross animal behaviourist Julie Bedford says: “Routines these days are less stable which can lead to anxiety and insecurity in dogs and cats who are unable to predict when their next meal or walk will be. Changes can also cause stress.
“Cats are being given up for rehoming because they are spraying or soiling indoors. Often this problem can be resolved with the correct advice – such as moving the litter tray to a quieter area of the house or making sure the garden is safe.”
Veterinary surgeon Caroline Reay adds: “We are seeing health problems in cats brought on through a rise in stress, such as allergies and urinary infections. Identifying and eliminating causes of stress can often aid recovery.”
The charity is asking owners to look out for signs of stress in their pet, such as soiling in doors, gnawing or biting at fur and aggressive behaviour. If this behaviour is observed, The Blue Cross is urging owners to consult their vet.
The Blue Cross also report that ‘relationship breakdown’ is a chief cause of dogs and cats being given up by their owners, according to research by The Blue Cross. This too must be very stressful for the pets involved…
An average of 60 per cent of the animals in Blue Cross adoption centres have been handed over following a failed relationship resulting in a broken home.
Some animals have been brought in to Blue Cross centres for their own safety - when violent owners have turned on their pet as a way of hurting their partner. The Blue Cross has also seen animals used as pawns in divorce proceedings or simply abandoned when couples can’t agree on custody. In some cases, one partner has left their pet with the charity to spite the other.
Following the sale of the marital home, owners may find themselves in flats unsuitable for dogs or with an unsympathetic landlord meaning that they’ve had to give up their companion. Some owners might have to take a full-time job or make other life changes that are incompatible with keeping their pet.
Steve Broomfield, the Blue Cross’s regional manager for the south, says: “During a relationship breakdown, what to do with the family pet can be the last thing on an owners mind. As pets often become the silent victims of a broken home, The Blue Cross urges owners to spare a thought for their pet’s needs during this difficult time. If people find they are unable to cope, we would encourage them to take their pet along to an animal adoption centre, rather than abandon it.”
To find out more about the Blue Cross charity’s work or to make a donation, please contact: www.bluecross.org.uk
