'Understanding pet owners is key to improving exotic pet welfare

Online care advice for exotic species is often contradictory, inconsistent and variable in quality, making it difficult for owners to know what constitutes good care of their pet. That is the key finding from independent research commissioned by the RSPCA. The charity has published the findings in a report to highlight the extent of poor exotic welfare. ‘Understanding the Motivations of Beginner Reptile Owners’ makes the case for higher quality and accessible care information to encourage responsible reptile ownership. Researchers examined barriers to good exotic welfare by interviewing vets, members of the reptile pet trade, as well as reptile pet owners. They then applied behaviour change principles to better understand the motivations of reptile pet owners and identify opportunities to influence best practice for reptile care. They found reptile pets may have multiple owners in their lifetime and every time animals change hands, the quality of their care information...
Source: Veterinary Record - Category: Veterinary Research Tags: News section Source Type: research