It’s no secret that the long period of lockdown we experienced was not the most pleasant or restful. While this is generally true for us humans, the lockdown did allow dogs and cats to take advantage of the situation and spend more time with their families.
Unlike us, our furry friends seem to have actually enjoyed this two-month break. It makes sense, since they suddenly found themselves living 24/7 with their owners.
And since at Invoxia, pet owners are legion, we quickly realized that our continued presence was influencing their behavior and habits. We therefore conducted a study using the Pet Tracker Invoxia, based on its activity tracking and animal health features boosted by artificial intelligence, in order to better understand the impact of confinement on your dogs and cats.
We were then able to analyze and compare the different indicators measured by the Pet Tracker (frequency of scratching and barking, rest and walking time…) before and during the generalized confinement. Without surprise, our impressions were quickly confirmed… Discover the report of our study.
Dogs during confinement: masters of walks and cuddles #
At first glance, one might have thought that the ban on travel throughout the territory would have slowed down outings from home, and therefore walks. But that was without counting on the possibility of offering bonus outings with one’s dog as an alibi! Instead of decreasing, walks have increased by 40%.
“Attention, aggressive dog!” That’s what we used to see on the doors of our houses before the lockdown. But with 43% more daily cuddles since then, it’s hard to think they still are… From being mere pets, they have become real cuddly toys, much to their delight.
More walks and more cuddles can only be good for morale! Thus, we also note a decrease in barking by an average of 15% per day, a sign that the stress and separation anxiety of dogs have clearly decreased during the lockdown.
Cats during confinement: kings of napping and playing #
On their side, cats also saw their habits modified during confinement. Well, not exactly all of them, since their nap time remained unchanged. In other words, they clearly preferred to keep napping while you were there with them all day. What ingratitude!
Apart from their nap time, confinement still had an impact on cats’ habits. Like dogs, the number of cuddles received clearly increased, with 58% more daily hugs. Ungrateful, yes, but we still love them!
To conclude, it is interesting to note that even though their resting time remained the same, their daily activity (play, walk, run…) increased by 33% during the lockdown. Proof that even if they are still lazy, your presence has still been beneficial to them!
And to learn more about our GPS Trackers and their technology, check out our articles on Edge Computing and Low Power Networks!