attitudes among pet owners to preventative health measures report prepared for NOAH june 2007 gill norriss
objectives To provide substantiated information to help persuade other organisations (e.g. the vet profession) to support NOAH in its efforts to improve the health of pets and pet owners’ attitudes to pet health The objectives of the research were: To understand awareness of preventative medicine in cats and dogs How the decision is made as to what areas of preventative medicine are important and which to adopt Understand what types of preventative medicine are / are not carried out and reasons why, including frequency of carrying out prevention Sources of information on preventative medicine To provide material for use in the CADAPC campaign launch CE 0701 Page 2 June 2007
methodology A qualitative survey was conducted among pet owners in Autumn 2006, results reported to NOAH and hypotheses developed A quantitative survey with a larger sample to substantiate those results and test the hypotheses has now been undertaken in May/June 2007. This was done by internet survey among 1024 pet owners, fulfilling the following criteria: The sample was split by quota, applied to identify “Preventers”: those who had wormed their pet in the last year and /or vaccinated their pet in the last 2 years “Non Preventers”: those who did had neither wormed their pet in the last year nor vaccinated in the last 2 years A mix of cat and dog owners (not breeders) Must be responsible or jointly responsible for taking the pet to the vet and administering medication A range of ages of owners A mix of genders CE 0701 Page 3 June 2007
survey findings CE 0701 Page 4 June 2007
attitudes to pet ownership CE 0701 Page 5 June 2007
all owners strongly agree that being a responsible pet owner means caring for your pet, feeding it, exercising it & giving it attention Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 5% 18% 74% 4.6 3% 13% 82% Preventers (524) 4.8 4.5 Non preventers (500) 7% 23% 66% Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “Being a responsible pet owner means caring for your pet, feeding it, exercising it & giving it attention” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 6 June 2007
opinion is sharply split between P & Non P on regular vaccination as part of being a responsible pet owner Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 10% 13% 28% 17% 31% 3.5 3% 4% 16% 21% 56% Preventers (524) 4.2 Non preventers (500) 18% 23% 40% 13% 6% 2.7 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “Being a responsible pet owner means regularly vaccinating your pet” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 7 June 2007
Preventers are much more likely to insure their pet Preventers (524) 41% Non preventers (500) All (1024) 36% Ages 35-54 25% 30% 27% 23% 20% 12% 10% 9% Cat (511) Dog (513) All (1024) Preventers may be risk averse or more aware of disease consequences Q8 Is your pet insured? Base all respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 8 June 2007
Preventers go to the vet at least for boosters, if not more often. >1/2 Non P go only when they have a problem Preventers (524) Non Preventers (500) All (1024) 51% 37% 31% 25% 23% 21% 15% 15% 13% 12% 9% 9% 9% 7% 7% 6% 4% 3% Less than x1 p.a. Once p.a. X 2 X 3 X 4+ Only when problem Non Preventers tend to use the vet as a last resort – “fire-fighting” Q12 On average, how often do you visit the vet with your cat/dog, not including any visits for grooming? Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 9 June 2007
dogs are more likely to be lucky at Christmas, but not dependent on whether owners Preventers or not 79% 75% 70% 68% 63% 57% 57% 50% 44% Cats Dogs All Preventers (524) Non Preventers (500) All (1024) Non prevention is not about loving pets! Q32 Do you buy your pet a Christmas present? Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 10 June 2007
most owners spend £5-£10 on a Christmas present but all are likely to spend more on dogs than on cats <£5 £5 to <£10 £10 to <£15 £15 or more Lesser spend Greater spend Cats (258) 56% 36% 5% 3% 36% 45% 11% 8% Dogs (385) All (643) 44% 41% 9% 6% Prevention or not – the pet is part of the family Q32 Do you buy your pet a Christmas present? IF YES Q33 How much would you spend on it? Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 11 June 2007
2/5 owners sleep with their pets On the bed In the bed In bedroom but not on bed No 31% 1% 13% 8% 60% 3% 23% NB No differences between P & Non P 61% Q31 Does your pet sleep with you? Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 12 June 2007
summary - attitudes to pets & vets Responsible pet ownership is love & attention & does not automatically involve preventative medicine Only 18% of Non Preventer owners see vaccination/prevention as part of responsible ownership though 76% of Preventer owners do A responsible owner is one who cares All agreed “Being a responsible pet owner means caring for your pet, feeding it, exercising it and giving it attention” 92% (P 95% vs NP 89%) Non prevention does not mean not loving the pet: pets are part of the family 2/5 allow the pet to sleep in the bedroom 2/3 buy Christmas presents – (68% P vs 57% Non P) spending up to £10 in general Preventers are more likely to : Have their pet insured 36% vs 10% (Non P) See value in the vet Visit the vet at least once a year 78% vs 26% (Non P) Non preventers are more likely to: Visit the vet only when there is a problem 51% vs 12% (P) CE 0701 Page 13 June 2007
attitudes to vaccination CE 0701 Page 14 June 2007
Preventers tend to vaccinate because their friends and family do Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 29% 29% 27% 8% 7% 2.8 10% 12% 31% 18% 29% Preventers (524) 3.4 Non preventers (500) 34% 30% 25% 7% 5% 2.2 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “All my pet owning friends and family vaccinate and so do I” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 15 June 2007
Preventers vaccinate annually in general 78% 69% 42% 40% Preventer (499) Non Preventer (343) All (842) 14% 12% 12% 10% 8% 4% 3% 3% 2% 2% 0% Every six Every year Every 2 years Less Other months frequently 2/3 Non P have vaccinated at some stage but not regularly Q14 If vaccinated at Q7, How often do you normally vaccinate your dog or cat? Base all who vaccinated at Q7 (Preventers 499, Non preventers who have ever vaccinated (343)) CE 0701 Page 16 June 2007
even Non P tend to think that vaccination is best for the pet, though they don’t do it Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 6% 11% 24% 25% 33% 3.7 2% 3% 14% 27% 54% Preventers (524) 4.3 Non preventers (500) 11% 19% 35% 24% 11% 3.1 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “If I vaccinate I know I have done the best for my pet” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 17 June 2007
Non P do not agree that vaccination is essential Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 10% 14% 28% 18% 31% 3.5 3% 5% 17% 22% 53% Preventers (524) 4.2 Non preventers (500) 17% 23% 39% 13% 8% 2.7 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “Vaccination is essential” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 18 June 2007
Preventers feel guilty if they do not vaccinate, unlike Non P who don’t see a need Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 16% 17% 21% 19% 26% 3.2 5% 7% 18% 25% 45% Preventers (524) 4.0 Non preventers (500) 28% 28% 25% 14% 6% 2.4 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “I would feel bad / guilty if I did not vaccinate my pet” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 19 June 2007
Non P do not agree that vaccination is relevant to them. Only 44% of P agree though 70% of them vaccinate annually Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 19% 20% 33% 12% 16% 2.9 10% 12% 34% 16% 28% Preventers (524) 3.4 Non preventers (500) 29% 27% 32% 8% 4% 2.3 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “Vaccination is relevant to me personally, in my situation” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 20 June 2007
only 1/3 Non P actually agree that vaccination is not essential if your pet is well but the other 2/3 are not sufficiently convinced to vaccinate regularly Do not agree at all 2 3 4 Agree strongly All (1024) 32% 19% 28% 14% 7% 2.4 52% 22% 15% 7% 4% Preventers (524) 1.9 Non preventers (500) 11% 17% 41% 21% 10% 3.0 Q16 Please tell us to what extent you agree with the following statements: “Vaccination is not essential if your pet is well” Base All respondents (1024) CE 0701 Page 21 June 2007
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