Featured Partner
Principal Investigator
Rationale
Pet ownership can benefit owner wellbeing, however, current research is highly focused on dogs and cats. There is little research on the impact of owning small furry pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and rats. Even less is known about the impact of adopting these small pets from a shelter.
Objective
This study aims to understand the impact of adopting ‘small furry’ rescue pets on owner wellbeing and the pet-owner relationship.
Design
This project will use surveys with owners of small furry animals adopted from shelters to examine changes to the owner’s mental and physical wellbeing after adoption. It will also gain insights from in depth interviews with owners of small furry animals.
Expected Results
Understanding how pets with different care needs are able to positively impact owner wellbeing, using longitudinal data collection better able to infer causality, will strengthen the evidence-base regarding health impacts of pet ownership. It will also lead to recommendations and inform how shelters may best support and guide successful adoption choices.
