How Lockdown Affected New Zealand Companion Animals

So far 2020 has been a year like no other. The impacts of COVID-19 on most people’s lives has been significant. For some, it has very sadly meant the loss of loved ones, of jobs and of financial security. For others, it has changed the way they socialise, exercise, entertain themselves and work. No one’s lives have been completely unaffected.

But what has the impact been on our animals? Their lives too have looked quite different during this time. For some, this has meant going from spending 10 hours or more alone each day to suddenly having somebody at home almost all of the time. For others, a house that used to be quiet during the daytime was suddenly filled with loud children. Still others may notice that their human was spending a lot more time in the home office, and that attempts to get attention, such as jumping up on the desk and walking across the keyboard, have been met not with cuddles but with being unceremoniously closed out of the room.

We wanted to learn about the impacts of lockdown on companion animals across the country. So in the last week of Alert Level 4, we surveyed nearly 700 kiwi animal guardians about the effects of the previous four weeks on their furry family.

Overall, respondents felt the lockdown had a positive impact on their animals’ wellbeing.

55% felt that their animals’ wellbeing was a little better or much better during the lockdown, with only 7% stating that wellbeing was a little worse or much worse.

When asked about what positive benefits they had experienced from the lockdown, guardians were eager to share all the things their companion had been loving about the change in lifestyle. The most commonly mentioned benefits were the animal having more company, more attention and less time alone. As one dog and cat guardian put it, “They have constant cuddles and are never on their own.”

Some guardians shared how spending more time with their animals was of benefit to them as well as the companion. “He plainly loves having us around. It’s mutual!” was the response of one cat guardian. Not all cats were so impressed though. “I think the dog likes having me home, but the cat couldn’t care less,” says the guardian of one indifferent feline. Still other clever kitties found ways to use the situation to their benefit; “My cat Hi5s for treats so has been taking advantage of us!”

However, the lockdown wasn’t all good news for animals.

People also had stories to share about negative impacts of lockdown. The most commonly expressed concern, especially from dog guardians, was that they missed the company of other dogs and people. “He loves dogs and people and spending his day at the gate greeting passers-by. He was very depressed the first few days because no one came past, no one stopped to pat him and we had no visitors,” says the guardian of one glum canine.

Some cat guardians reported their pets were missing their alone time; “Sometimes I do think my cat would love to be by herself again. Sometimes in the last few days she’s been going off to a quiet room away from us to sleep during the day.” Many dog guardians also felt the new restrictions around exercise were getting their dogs down. Under Alert Level 4, people were encouraged to always walk dogs on leash, and only to walk from their home rather than driving to their favourite exercise spots. As one dog guardian put it, “No doubt the dogs have missed going to the beach and getting out and about in the car.”

getting active in lockdown

On the topic of exercise, with so many people spending more time at home it was suspected that the amount of time people spent actively with their pets would increase. The survey asked about the level of exercise that companions had been getting during lockdown. Unsurprisingly, 45% of guardians reported that their companions had been getting a little more or a lot more exercise compared to before lockdown, with only 13% reporting a little less or a lot less exercise. Similarly, we asked about the amount of time people had spent playing with their animals during lockdown. These results were even more impressive, with a massive 62% of people playing a little more or a lot more, and only 2% reporting playing a little less or a lot less.

access to veterinary care and diet

During the lockdown, veterinary care was classified as an essential service. As such, it was available throughout Alert Level 4. However, some non-emergency services were less available, and a relaxation in the telemedicine regulations meant that consultations and prescriptions were sometimes available online or over the phone. The survey found that, despite the restrictions, 86% of guardians seeking veterinary consults were able to access them during the lockdown, either in-person or via telemedicine. 44% of consults during this time were done via email or over the phone.

We were also interested in whether people were feeding their animals differently during lockdown. The survey results showed that 33% of guardians had changed feeding in at least one way. Easily the biggest change was feeding more treats, which was described by 18% of guardians. “The easy to con adult is home so they receive treats during the day,” said one guardian. The consequences of this change were not lost on respondents either. “She is becoming fat, having weight gain from too many treats,” was listed by one guardian as a negative impact of the lockdown.

behavioural changes

With so much change in many animals’ lives, it was unsurprising that this manifested as a change in behaviour in some cases. In fact, over 40% of guardians noticed at least one behavioural change during Alert Level 4. Some of these behavioural changes were positive. “He’s old, and I thought he was on the way out before,” says one dog guardian. “But he’s completely changed – he’s so happy, like a puppy again.” Others have had time to invest in training and are reaping the behavioural rewards. “She finally mastered toilet training!” exclaimed one happy dog guardian.

However, other behavioural changes have not been positive. The most frequently noted behavioural change overall was being more clingy and needy. “He hates being in a room alone. He’ll follow me everywhere, even from one chair to another,” said one dog guardian. As another put it, “They are clingier than usual, as in they are by our side all the time. If we put them outside for an hour or in a separate room, they whimper and complain. I think they used to be more independent before the lockdown.”

Such changes can be indicative of a separation-related behaviours, where the animal becomes distressed in the absence of people, or of one particular person. This can manifest as vocalisation, elimination, and destructive behaviour directed towards objects in the environment or even at the animals’ own body when left alone. Such disorders were unfortunately already common before the lockdown. With the occurrence of a month or more with people at home all the time it was unsurprising to hear that these behaviours were on the rise.

It was clear from the survey that separation-related behaviours were a concern for many companion animal guardians. In fact, when asked whether people were concerned about the wellbeing of their animals after lockdown, separation anxiety and being lonely or bored on their own were the most common concerns raised. Fortunately, there is a lot of help for this issue available. Many animal behaviour consultants in New Zealand and worldwide have produced free content to help people avoid and manage separation-related behaviours. There are veterinarians and welfare-friendly CANZ-Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultants available for those in need, some of whom offer consultations by phone and email for those not in their immediate area.

thinking of others

The survey also asked respondents whether they had concerns about the wellbeing of kiwi companions in general after lockdown, not just their own. Even more people responded with worries about separation-related disorders, but a number of social concerns were also raised. With the COVID-associated economic downturn, respondents were concerned that people would not be able to afford to care for their pets, and that rates of animal surrender, abandonment and abuse would rise. CANZ subsequently interviewed the SPCA about these concerns and were relieved to learn that no spike in rates of surrender, abandonment or welfare complaints had been recorded at the time of writing. How the recession will impact on animals ongoing remains to be seen, but for those concerned about this now is a great time to give money or your time to an animal charity.

Overall, the impacts of lockdown on New Zealand companion animals was largely positive, with a majority of guardians reporting an improvement in wellbeing, more time spent in exercise and play, and ready access to veterinary care. However, some animal guardians are now having to deal with negative aspects of lockdown such as separation-related behaviours and obesity. It is clear that this turbulent time in human history has also represented a significant upheaval for the animals that share our homes and lives. As normality returns, there is an opportunity to take the best parts of lockdown forward with us. Many companions would benefit from a bit more time in exercise, play and training and we hope that these aspects of lockdown will remain during lower Alert Levels and beyond.   

9 June 2020