Pet cats are getting stressed about their owners being home all the time during the lockdown measures of the last year to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, with many preferring to have some alone time during the day, according to animal charity Cats Protection.
The Metro reports that as many workers continue to work from home, vets have reported an increase in visits from cats and their owners due to mental health conditions, as pet cats are getting stressed and anxious as the usual solitary existence is interrupted.
Animal charity Cats Protection said that many pets were struggling to cope with cohabiting with their owners during the day.
“It would appear that some cats may have become more stressed in their home during the pandemic,” a spokeswoman said.
“Changes to a cat’s routine always have the potential to cause stress, as they are creatures of habit. As well as this, ‘safe’ or ‘quiet’ places that a cat could have escaped to in the home previously may have been repurposed as a home office, so the cat no longer has a quiet place.”
Cats that are anxious or fearful, especially around children, typically have around seven-hour reprieve each day, but with schools shut and offices closed, cats no longer got this ‘circuit breaker’ to allow stress levels to fall.
Daniella Dos Santos, the senior vice-president of Cats Protection, said: “Changes to a cat’s physical environment, such as owners having been at home for longer periods during the lockdown, tiny sex doll can have an impact on its stress levels and behaviour.
“Signs of stress in cats can include excessive vocalisation, overgrooming, excessive scratching, inappropriate urination or defecation, aggression or hiding away.”
It’ll be of little surprise to most people, but apparently, dogs do not have the same problem.
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