Depressed pet owners may leave their pets feeling blue

Pet insurance policy holders who feel a little depressed could leave their pets feeling similarly low, as new research has indicated that pet owners believe that their animals often mimic their moods.

The Mirror reports that a survey of 3,000 pet owners has shown that 77 per cent of pet insurance policy holders believed that their pet instinctively knew when they were feeling down, with a further 40 per cent of dog owners claiming that their pooch has been known to sulk.

More than four in ten dog owners said that their pet had exhibited symptoms of a 'doggie depression' such as sulking, whining, losing interest in play time, refusing to eat or retreating to another room.

"It seems dogs are highly sensitive creatures, able to detect a range of emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety and grief." Nikki Sellers, who helped to collate the survey results, told the publication.

Researchers at the University of Bristol have also warned pet owners that some dogs may have a pessimistic approach to life, much like their owners, leaving them more likely to suffer separation anxiety and related pet health problems.

The findings perhaps explain why around half of the UK's dogs will, at some point or other, exhibit separation anxiety related behaviours such as destroying household objects - which could in turn, lead to pet owners having to seek treatment for injured or depressed pets and to make a home insurance claim to cover the cost of household repairs or to replace damaged contents.

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:24:00 GMT