An interesting trend brought by the pet industry. Compared to other sectors, this one is growing at a dizzy rate. Why is that? Let's take a look at the newest trends in pet acquisition and adoption, and whether shelters and breeders really are as empty as they say.
Pet as an escape from the pandemic crisis.
Boredom, loneliness, stress and an unusually long time spent at home. According to Packaged Facts, an organisation that provides pet market research, it is one of the reasons for the rapid growth in dog ownership. During 2020, it increased to 96 million. By comparison, it is 10 million more than in the pre-pandemic 2019. The number of cat owners increased to 32 million, which, compared to 2019, is 2 million more. 2021 cannot boast of such numbers but it is still showing a positive trend.
The increase in the number of cats and dogs in households isn't the only reflection of the pandemic crisis. Latest surveys show that people enriched their households also with various species of aquarium fish, reptiles, small mammals and birds. This is also supported by the results from the retail trade, showing an increase in the sales of food for these domestic companions.
Adoptions in the Czech Republic
Czech breeders and shelters can confirm this trend. During the pandemic crisis, when people couldn't go anywhere, they passed their time by acquiring pets.
Most organisations can confirm that they didn't expect as much interest as they have recorded over the past year. Many are now at half their capacity. Some have agreed that interest also increased when government regulations allowed outdoor walks solely for the purpose of walking a dog.
Representatives of the societies have declared that most people were and still are interested in puppies, small dogs and bitches. However, they are worried that once the home office boom is over and all the regulations are relaxed, the situation won't be so rosy and people will start returning the pets back to the breeders and shelters. Unfortunately, all the organisations are expecting a great increase in the number of abandoned animals.
Greater interest has also been recorded in the adoption of dogs. Currently, the societies are choosing adoptive owners very carefully and conscientiously, and allow them to take the pets for only a temporary period to start with. According to the representatives of the dog-adoption societies, a potential applicant is given a four-month trial period to learn to work with the dog. During that time, the person must agree to an inspection, for the adoption centre to find out, whether the dog is thriving in the new home.
Have you also expanded your household with another member during the pandemic?
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
