U.S. Dogs And Cats Engage In Risky Behavior

A survey of companion animal owners has found that their animals engage in risky behaviours such as drinking from the toilet, pressing their noses against the window and eating crumbs off the floor.

Summary By: Faunalytics | This is a summary of an external study | Published: April 26, 2010

Image by Pixabay user ivanovgood

This Harris Interactive survey of dog and cat owners finds that a significant number of dogs and cats engage in “risky” behavior, exposing themselves to household chemicals by drinking from the toilet, eating crumbs off the floor, and pressing their noses against windows.

According to the survey results, 23% of cats and 16% of dogs drink from the toilet, 77% of both eat crumbs off the floor, and about half press their noses up against windows. These behaviors pose some risk to dogs and cats of ingesting chemical residue left behind from cleaners.

Also noted in this survey, more than half of owners worry that their companion animals may be ingesting chemical residues from household cleaners and about one-fifth say they are not at all familiar with the ingredients in their cleaners. Further, one-third of dog and cat owners do not clean their dog’s or cat’s chew toys.

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Author: Faunalytics

Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to helping animals by providing useful information to advocates to help them increase their impact.