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Hu, T. Pet Species Welfare. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62057 (accessed on 09 November 2026).
Hu T. Pet Species Welfare. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62057. Accessed November 09, 2026.
Hu, Tinley. "Pet Species Welfare" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62057 (accessed November 09, 2026).
Hu, T. (2026, November 06). Pet Species Welfare. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62057
Hu, Tinley. "Pet Species Welfare." Encyclopedia. Web. 06 November, 2026.
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Pet Species Welfare
EditPet species welfare refers to the physical, psychological, social and environmental well-being of animals kept in households for companionship—chiefly dogs, cats and small mammals—rather than to their health alone [1]. It is appraised against five needs: a suitable environment and diet, housing with or apart from other animals, species-typical behaviour, and protection from pain, injury and disease [1]. Because pets live under owner control rather than in managed groups, housing, feeding and veterinary access depend on owner decisions, and confinement, isolation and appearance-driven breeding are recurrent risks [2]. Expert consensus ranks obesity, behavioural issues and delayed veterinary care among priority issues for cats, and small housing as the leading issue for most pet small mammals [3][4].
pet welfare
five animal welfare needs
owner control
small mammals
veterinary guidance
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References
- S. Ryan; H. Bacon; N. Endenburg; S. Hazel; R. Jouppi; N. Lee; K. Seksel; G. Takashima; WSAVA Animal Welfare Guidelines. J. Small Anim. Pract. 2019, 60, E1-E46. [CrossRef]
- Iben Meyer; Björn Forkman; Merete Fredholm; Carmen Glanville; Bernt Guldbrandtsen; Eliza Ruiz Izaguirre; Clare Palmer; Peter Sandøe; Pampered pets or poor bastards? The welfare of dogs kept as companion animals. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2022, 251, 886020. [CrossRef]
- Fiona Rioja‐Lang; Heather Bacon; Melanie Connor; Cathy Mary Dwyer; Determining priority welfare issues for cats in the United Kingdom using expert consensus. Vet. Rec. Open 2019, 6, e000365. [CrossRef]
- Lauren Fenton; Livia Benato; Elisabetta Mancinelli; Nicola J. Rooney; What Are the Most Prevalent Welfare Issues for Pet Small Mammals?. Animals 2025, 15, 1423. [CrossRef]
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