Talking to dogs and cats our pet hobby - Herald Sun

The survey of 800 Australian pet owners found more than 95 per cent of dog owners talked to their pets, while just over 89 per cent spoke to their cats.

And 87 per cent said they understood what their pets were trying to say, according to the survey commissioned by an animal healthcare company.

Veterinarian Dr Alister Webster said the results raised concerns that we might think we know more then we actually do.

"Pets are important parts of our lives, and most of us believe they know their pet well - and can even communicate with them," Dr Webster, from Pure Animal Wellbeing, said in a statement today.

"Particularly in winter periods I see pets that have been generally unwell or struggling with continued pain for extensive periods of time and their owners are not realising this.

"Their owners may not have picked up on the signs, or have read them wrong. It's not as easy to understand what pets are feeling as people think."

Of greatest concern, Dr Webster said, are owners' perceptions of what happens to their pets as they age.

The survey found 57 per cent of dog owners and just under half of cat owners thought their pets became grumpier as they aged.

"They rest this belief of seeing their pet being less inclined to go for a walk or play; they are maybe slowing down and experiencing more stiffness, becoming intolerant of people or no longer jumping up on the furniture.

"But these can be common signs of arthritis and joint pain, rather than grumpiness."

The survey, Read My PAW, was conducted by Empirica Research for Blackmores, of which Pure Animal Wellbeing is a division.

23 Sep, 2011

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