Our pets have become used to the regular presence of us, their humans. The return to the office disrupts their habits, just as it does for those of their ‘parents’. Photo: AFP
Many companies are now urging their employees to return to their premises on a regular basis, which is causing concern among pet owners. Indeed, with the pervasiveness of remote work, our four-legged friends have become accustomed to the regular presence of us, their humans. The return to the office disrupts their habits, just as it does for those of their “parents”.
Like babies, our furry companions can also develop separation anxiety. This disorder manifests itself as signs of distress and lack of engagement when the pet is separated from their main caregiver. This can even lead to the development of abnormal stress-related behaviours, such as excessive grooming, inappropriate barking and aggression.
The phenomenon seems to intensify in very young animals, or those that have only known their caregiver in a framework where they are at home most of the time due to pandemic-era lockdowns and/or widespread recourse to 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% 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 pet parents feel for their furballs is the talk of the “pet economy,” a booming sector expected to be worth US$500bil (RM2.3tril) 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.
American 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’ latest quarterly financial report (Q1 Earnings Fiscal 2024) takes into account the company’s sales up to August 27, 2023.
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 pet sitters, home-sitting services and professional pooper scoopers to look after their pets in their absence.
The Rover platform, which connects pet owners with sitters and dog walkers, has already experienced this, with its share price up 45% since the start of 2023, according to Fortune magazine. Whatever it takes to keep the pets happy. – AFP Relaxnews
