The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on human-pet interactions within New Zealand, particularly during lockdown, was investigated via two national surveys. In Survey 1, pet owners (n = 686) responded during the final week of the five-week Alert Level 4 lockdown (highest level of restrictions—April 2020), and survey 2 involved 498 respondents during July 2020 whilst at Alert Level 1 (lowest level of restrictions). During the lockdown, 54.7% of owners felt that their pets’ wellbeing was better than usual, while only 7.4% felt that it was worse. Most respondents (84.0%) could list at least one benefit of lockdown for their pets, and they noted pets were engaged with more play (61.7%) and exercise (49.7%) than pre-lockdown. Many respondents (40.3%) expressed that they were concerned about their pet’s wellbeing after lockdown, with pets missing company/attention and separation anxiety being major themes. In Survey 2, 27.9% of respondents reported that they continued to engage in increased rates of play with their pets after lockdown, however, the higher levels of pet exercise were not maintained. Just over one-third (35.9%) of owners took steps to prepare their pets to transition out of lockdown. The results indicate that pets may have enjoyed improved welfare during lockdown due to the possibility of increased human-pet interaction. The steps taken by owners to prepare animals for a return to normal life may enhance pet wellbeing long-term if maintained.

One in four New Zealand cats are overweight or obese, conditions associated with poor health outcomes. As part of an online survey that was conducted from January 2019 to March 2019, NZ residents aged ≥18 years were asked demographic questions along with questions related to the body condition, breed and diet of their cat/s. From the responses, possible owner-related risk factors for developing obesity were identified. Of the respondents, 65.5% (n = 1537) owned cat/s; the owners being more likely to be female, live rurally, or live with children. Most of the respondents fed their cat/s biscuits from the supermarket (63%) and wet food (57%). Almost half (45%) fed their cat/s specialised food from a pet shop or veterinary clinic and gave them treats, with 31% of respondents feeding their cat/s raw meat. Feeding cats a variety of food types may make it difficult to estimate the appropriate amount of each needed to avoid excess caloric intake. In addition, approximately 30% of the respondents did not agree with the correct body condition statement, revealing a need for owner education. These findings highlight important areas of cat nutrition requiring future research to better inform the development of healthy weight interventions for NZ cats.

Approximately a third of all Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) households include a dog, with 28% of these dogs being overweight or obese, conditions that are associated with many serious health issues. Therefore, healthy weight interventions that focus on the owner’s role are of great importance to companion animal welfare in NZ. Accordingly, the present study explores the feeding practices associated with NZ dogs and identifies potential owner-related risk factors contributing to these animals being overweight or obese. The current study used data collected from a survey conducted online in 2019 between January and March of NZ residents over 18. Along with demographic questions, the respondents were asked questions regarding their dog’s body condition and diet questions related to the body. Nearly a quarter (26%, n = 609) of the survey participants (n = 2358) owned at least one dog. The current study reported that increasing age range, household income and the number of children increased the likelihood of having a dog while increasing qualification level and living in a town/city decreased the likelihood. The majority of the respondents fed their dog(s) treats (59%) and 85% fed them specialised food bought from a pet shop, veterinary clinic and/or different online sources. Just over a third of the participant (39%) reported that they fed their dog(s) biscuits from the supermarket, 36% fed their dog(s) raw meat, and 34% of respondents fee their dog(s) table scraps/human food. These results suggest that many dog owners feed their dog(s) various food types, making it a challenging task to determine the exact amount required from each type in order not to exceed caloric intake. Disagreement regarding the correct body condition were reported among twenty per cent of the respondents. This finding indicates a knowledge gap among the NZ dog-owning population that may negatively affect their dogs’ welfare and wellbeing. Future research into pro-equity approaches to address these issues is needed so that dogs in NZ can live not only a good life but also their best life.