How the pandemic brought people closer to their pets

By Alice Clifford via SWNS

COVID-19 brought pet owners closer to their dogs and cats, according to new research.

Having a dog around helped with loneliness and reduced stress during reopening and recovery period, say scientists.

Cat owners, however, were generally more stressed and lonelier.

The American research team did not find strong evidence that having a furry friend around made people less stressed or lonely during the lockdowns themselves.

Participants filled in surveys to capture the dynamics of dog and cat ownership in the U.S. during four different periods.

These periods included before the pandemic, during the lockdown between April to June 2020, the reopening of September to December 2020 and a recovery period from January to December 2021.

Each person answered questions about their closeness to their pet and their stress and loneliness levels.

They were also asked about demographics, housing situation, personality and other potentially relevant factors.

There were 1,266 people with dogs and cats, 1,186 with only dogs, 1,128 with only cats, and 657 with no pets.

They found that dog and cat owners grew closer to their pets during the study period but links between pet ownership and mental health were more complex.

The researchers will continue collecting similar data through 2023 to capture any further changes in pet-owner relationships, stress, and loneliness.

Study author Dr. Niwako Ogata, from Purdue University in Indiana, said: “People felt closer toward their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic even though the pet ownership did not mitigate stress and loneliness.

“Dog ownership and cat ownership acted differently on mental health, but the difference between them could be partially explained away by the owner-pet relationship.”

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.