AFP – Numerous companies are currently urging their employees to resume regular on-site work, raising concerns among pet owners.
With the widespread adoption of remote work, our four-legged companions have grown accustomed to having their human companions around. The return to the office disrupts their routines, much like it does for their “parents”.
Similar to infants, our furry friends can also develop separation anxiety. This condition is marked by signs of distress and disengagement when they are apart from their primary caregiver. It may even lead to the development of stress-related behaviours, such as excessive grooming, inappropriate barking, and aggression.
This phenomenon appears to be more pronounced in very young animals or those who have mainly experienced their caregiver’s constant presence due to pandemic-related lockdowns and the prevalence of remote work.
The trend of returning to the office is reviving the anxiety felt by many pet owners post-pandemic, when they had to leave their pooch or cat alone at home to go about their “normal” business. At the time, 69 per cent of them said they were stressed at the thought of going to work on their company premises because of their pet, according to a Petco survey dating from 2021.
Pet parents are increasingly concerned about the well-being of their faithful companions.
They often spare no expense in pampering their pets, whether with clothes, accessories of all kinds, toys or treats. One party’s loss is another party’s gain. The love people feel for their pet is the talk of the “pet economy”, a booming sector expected to be worth USD500 billion by 2030, according to Bloomberg Intelligence estimates. Companies now offer a range of products to meet every need or whim of a pet. But the return of pet owners to the office, at the request of their bosses, is thwarting these companies’ plans.
Food giant General Mills, which has invested heavily in “pet food” in recent years, recently reported a double-digit percentage point drop in sales of pet treats. Sales of organic products and wet food remained stable, while those for wet food rose slightly, as the company indicated in its latest quarterly financial report.
General Mills explained to investors that these mixed results correlate with the fact that “pet parents (are) increasingly away from home”. Its competitors, Petco Health & Wellness Co and Chewy, have also seen their sales decline in recent months, according to Bloomberg. This is a cause for concern in the normally resilient pet food market.
But, as the saying goes, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. Some pet services companies and start-ups could benefit from the return of pet parents to the office. For instance, pet parents are likely to make greater use of professional to look after their pets in their absence. Whatever it takes to keep the pets happy.
