Identification of the Psychological and Behavioral Conditions of Cats from the Cat Owners’ Perspective during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Türkiye

Objective.The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological and behavioral status of domestic cats (Felis catus) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. The material of the study included the data collected from the responses of 306 cat owners who participated in the survey voluntarily. Results. During the study, 36.9% of the participating cat owners reported that their cats had some abnormal behaviors besides their normal behaviors during the pandemic. The most frequently mentioned abnormal behaviors were increased meowing (38.8%) and a greater desire for close contact (38.8%). Furthermore, 4.4% of cat owners said that their cats had abnormal behaviors like not using the litter box and urinating everywhere. Conclusions. As a result, the majority of cat owners who have participated in this study stated that there was no significant change in the mood and behavior of their cats during the COVID-19 pandemic, that it was beneficial to be a cat owner, and that they did not face many difficulties in taking care of their cats. During the pandemic, pets, with whom people spent more time together during the pandemic, should be followed up in terms of animal well-being after the pandemic. It is considered that it would be beneficial to provide information to pet owners on special animal welfare to understand the changes in human-animal interactions in similar pandemics and to manage this process in the best manner.