1.8 million pets are routinely left at home alone for five hours or more on a typical weekday.

Report reveals state of the nation’s pet health and wellbeing

Vets are urging owners to take steps to relieve their pets' stress, obesity and loneliness as new figures reveal the state of the nation’s pet health and wellbeing.

The 2017 PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report found that 1.8 million pets are routinely left at home alone for five hours or more on a typical weekday. It also shows that 93,000 dogs are never walked, leaving thousands under stimulated and at risk of obesity.

“Loneliness can be incredibly damaging for our four-legged friends. Dogs require lots of mental and physical stimulation, as well as human companionship, and shouldn’t routinely be left alone for longer than four hours at most,” said PDSA veterinary campaign manager Katy Orton.

“Bored dogs are unhappy dogs - they can show their frustration by chewing and being destructive, barking, toileting in the house, or developing other habits.”

The PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report sampled more than 4,000 dog, cat and rabbit owners over the age of 18 who lived in the UK.

It found that there is a general lack of understanding about what rabbits need to live a happy and healthy life. Rabbits are very social animals, but more than half (56 per cent) still live on their own, suffering from boredom and stress.

Moreover, the research shows that a staggering 2.1 million cats live in a multi-cat household with moggies they don’t get along with.

“Unlike dogs and rabbits, cats usually tend to prefer living alone,” Katy adds. “Living in a multi-cat household can lead to stress, fighting, spraying indoors, over-grooming and urinary problems.”