A Qualitative Analysis of Management Perspectives on Seeking to Implement the Foster Cat Project in Residential Aged Care in the Context of COVID-19 (original) (raw)
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Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, animal shelters in the United States and around the world are experiencing massive increases in adoption and foster rates. Remaining open as designated essential businesses, these shelters are interviewing adopters in parking lots to maintain social distancing guidelines and watching even long-term or hard-to-adopt residents find permanent homes. The reasons behind these phenomena are varied, but appear to stem in part from the positive benefits humans feel that they receive from sharing their home with an animal. In addition, many believe that being able to spend more time at home is important when adopting a pet, and COVID-19 has allowed people this opportunity. This study examines the adoption phenomena through an anthrozoological lens, and identifies the reasons behind this increase in animal adoption as well as the potential negative effects once the COVID crisis is over. If this increase in adoption will continue as people return to work remains to be seen, and experts question whether relinquishment and abandonment rates will skyrocket as the nation faces widespread unemployment and economic insecurity.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2018
This retrospective study of cat admissions to RSPCA Queensland shelters describes changes associated with improved outcomes ending in live release in 2016 compared to 2011. There were 13,911 cat admissions in 2011 and 13,220 in 2016, with approximately 50% in both years admitted as strays from the general public or council contracts. In contrast, owner surrenders halved from 30% to 15% of admissions. Percentages of admissions ending in euthanasia decreased from 58% to 15%. Only 5% of cat admissions were reclaimed in each of these years, but the percentage rehomed increased from 34% to 74%, of which 61% of the increase was contributed by in-shelter adoptions and 39% from non-shelter sites, predominately retail partnerships. The percentage temporarily fostered until rehoming doubled. In 2011, euthanasias were most common for medical (32% of all euthanasias), behavioral (36%) and age/shelter number (30%) reasons, whereas in 2016, 69% of euthanasias were for medical reasons. The number ...
Pet Ownership to the Rescue Perceptions of Becoming a Pet Owner During the Covid 19 Pandemic
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I would not have completed my thesis during a pandemic without their flexibility, guidance, and support. They continued to motivate and encourage me, despite the alterations I made to my research study because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to express gratitude to my parents for providing support mentally, spiritually, and financially. Their love and encouragement are endless. To my sister and best friend, thank you for always being a phone call away. Their support helped me when I missed home. Lastly, I will forever be grateful to the Ferguson College of Agriculture Communications Team. My graduate school experience was bittersweet because of their support. They believed in me and challenged me to do my best while at Oklahoma State University.
Animals
In urban and peri-urban areas of the world, free-roaming cats often pose management challenges for authorities. Most are wandering owned or semi-owned cats (fed by people who do not perceive ownership). Some are lost or abandoned, or unowned cats who obtain food from humans unintentionally. Unidentified cats are classified as “stray” in shelter data, and by government agencies as “stray” or “feral” based on their behaviour. However, legally feral cats are usually considered to live and reproduce in the wild with no support from humans. Cats classified as feral in Australia can be managed using lethal methods, including shooting, poisoning, trapping, and blunt trauma. The impact of killing animals on shelter staff is well documented. However, no previous research has investigated psychological impacts of lethal cat management on citizens who care for free-roaming cats. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explored the lived experience of six cat caregivers affected by lethal ...
Cat owners’ perception on having a pet cat during the COVID-19 pandemic
PLOS ONE, 2021
Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the lives of pet animals. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of pet cats across countries, as well as the owners’ experience in relation to their cat(s). An online survey containing 21 questions was distributed internationally. Questions were related to information about the cat and its behaviour and health, changes in the household due to the pandemic, and how the owner related to the cat. The survey was completed by 324 respondents from 25 different countries. The survey showed that keeping pet cats during the COVID-19 pandemic did not create problems for the owners, except some difficulties in acquiring veterinary care. The majority (67.3%) of respondents reported no changes in their cats’ behaviour. When behavioural changes were reported, they were mostly of a positive nature. Owners who took more measures in relation to the cat to prevent the spread of the virus, e.g., reduced contact, were ...
BMC Geriatrics, 2021
Background From late February 2020, English care homes rapidly adapted their practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to accommodating new guidelines and policies, staff had to adjust to rapid reconfiguration of services external to the home that they would normally depend upon for support. This study examined the complex interdependencies of support as staff responded to COVID-19. The aim was to inform more effective responses to the ongoing pandemic, and to improve understanding of how to work with care home staff and organisations after the pandemic has passed. Methods Ten managers of registered care homes in the East Midlands of England were interviewed by videoconference or phone about their experiences of the crisis from a structured organisational perspective. Analysis used an adapted organisational framework analysis approach with a focus on social ties and interdependencies between organisations and individuals. Results Three key groups of interdependenci...
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