Cats during the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has caused changes in the behaviour of many cats. Photo: Pixabay. guvo

For many felines during the coronavirus crisis, the period in lockdown and since the end of pandemic restrictions has left its mark. This was shown by the results of a survey conducted by the Ceva brand Feliway in six countries. More than 3 400 cat owners participated in the survey in April and May. The countries surveyed were the USA, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

The survey revealed that 20 per cent of owners believe that the lockdown was stressful for their cat(s), which was mainly attributable to the unavoidable changes in household routine. In Spain, which was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, as many as 27 per cent of respondents indicated this was the case.

A third of cat owners noticed several changes in the behaviour of their cats; these were both positive, such as a greater need for attention and affection, but also negative signs, such as whining and a more edgy demeanour.

Among cat-owning families that felt the relationship with their cat(s) had changed while coronavirus restrictions were in place, 93 per cent thought that the relationship had improved. 82 per cent of owners had spent more time with their cats during the lockdown.

35 per cent of cat owners believe that the end of coronavirus restrictions will cause their feline(s) stress. According to Ceva, it may be difficult for creatures of habit such as cats to deal with change. It will be especially important to support them, therefore, to prevent stress indicators (e.g. urine marking, scratching, hiding) from developing.