37% of the Dutch see cats as the ideal ‘lockdown buddy’. 34% prefer a dog and 17% a bird. This is apparent from a survey by online comparator Pricewice among 1000 respondents.
Generation Z (the generation born between 1996 and 2010) and millennials (born between 1980 and 1995) in particular have become pet owners in the past year.
Corona and the new way of working
The demand for pets rose enormously in the corona year. Psychologist Jeffrey Wijnberg previously told this newspaper that he saw the positive effects of a pet in this crisis. “You don’t get caught up in your own fears and gloom, because a pet demands attention in every possible way, which creates a lot of distraction.”
Moreover, a pet requires structure and rhythm, which many people have often lost. “Caring for and walking an animal forces you to adopt the same structure,” says Wijnberg. “Structure and rhythm are important for your mental health.”
Now that we are slowly returning to ‘normal’, the new way of working seems to be the reason for many millennials to take in an animal, says Arno Baas, a specialist in non-life insurance. He sees an increase in the demand for pet insurance. “Being at home more also means more time and attention for a pet. For many people, that perspective is the decisive factor in taking an animal into their home now.”
Care in asylum
The sad reality is that many people are now bringing the animal they brought home during the lockdown (back) to the shelter. In Amsterdam shelters, for example, the number of animals returned was much higher in recent weeks than last year. Shelters are bracing for the holiday season, because that can in turn lead to an influx of animals left behind or brought to the shelter.
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