A new report from the PDSA has revealed some important blind spots for pet owners. The report, called The Knowledge Gap, aimed to explore where pet owners might be falling short.
This included doing no research before buying a pet to everyday decisions about food, exercise and training, a lack of knowledge around pet’s health and wellbeing, and more.
The report didn’t aim to criticise owners but raise awareness for knowledge gaps that need to be filled. While these covered a wide range of topics, some statistics were more alarming than others.
Notably, 1 in 5 pet owners admitted to doing no research before buying or rescuing a pet. This includes key points like whether a certain breed is a good fit for your household, how much walking they need or if they are compatible with your age of fitness level.
Equally, only 1 in 6 pet owners looked into the cost of ownership before buying a pet and 61% of pet owners found their pet online. While this can be perfectly safe to do, the PDSA advises following extra steps when doing this, as they could be involved with illegal breeding or receiving a dog that isn’t how it is described.
For cats, 1 in 3 owners admitted that one of the main reasons they chose their beed was for its looks. Just 4% of pedigree cat owners cited good health as a reason for choosing their cat’s breed.
“We know that people love their pets and want to give them the best possible life they can. To help make that a reality, we want to help equip pet owners to be the very best pet owner they can be,” said PDSA vet Anna Ewers-Clark.
“By shining a light on the blind spots identified by this year’s PAW Report, we want to support pet owners with the information and knowledge they need that will help them and their pets.”
The report also looked into nutrition, highlighting around 1 in 6 pet owners believing their pet needs to lose weight and 2 in 5 owners saying they give treats to keep their pet happy.
PDSA said they believe understanding your pet’s nutritional needs is a crucial point for their future health.
In exercise, around 1 in 3 dog owners walking their pet for less than 30 minutes a day. Dogs walked this much each day were around 70% more likely to display excessive barking and more likely to jump up at people.
“By improving what people know about pets, helping them understand what their pet needs and supporting them to turn that knowledge into action, we can make a real difference to the lives of our beloved pets and help them enjoy healthier, happier lives,” said Ewers-Clark.
