Pets may be a positive presence for their owners during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, it is pertinent to identify the hardships associated with pet ownership. We conducted a large-scale survey of U.S. pet owners (n = 2254) in spring and summer 2020 to assess the ways that relationships with pets impacted life during COVID-19. We used thematic analysis to analyze 3671 open-ended responses to three prompts. Reported concerns fell into three major categories: (1) pet-focused (meeting needs of pets; procuring supplies; accessing veterinary care; new and emerging behavioral issues; fate of the pet if owner becomes ill; general safety and well-being), (2) human-focused (issues with working from home; well-being and mental health; balancing responsibilities), and (3) household-focused (disease spread; economic issues). Quantitative analyses showed that the owner’s strength of attachment to their pet, economic resources, and relationship status were associated with the types of concerns expressed. Results from this study indicate that pet owners experienced unique hardships related to changes in everyday life from the COVID-19 pandemic. These hardships should be considered alongside the potential benefits found in other studies in order to manage pet owner expectations, prevent pet relinquishment, and more fully understand multifaceted human-companion animal relationships.

中文翻译：

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在COVID-19期间照顾宠物的担忧，困难和压力：来自美国宠物主人的大量调查结果

在2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，宠物可能会对其主人产生积极影响。但是，确定与宠物所有权相关的困难是相关的。我们对美国宠物主人（n= 2254），以评估与宠物的关系如何影响COVID-19期间的生活。我们使用主题分析来分析对三个提示的3671个开放式响应。报告的担忧分为三大类：（1）关注宠物（满足宠物的需求；采购物资；获得兽医护理；新出现的行为问题；如果主人生病了，宠物的命运；总体安全和福祉）， （2）以人为本（在家工作的问题；福祉和心理健康；责任分担）；（3）以家庭为中心（疾病传播；经济问题）。定量分析表明，主人对宠物的依恋程度，经济资源和关系状况与所表达的担忧类型有关。这项研究的结果表明，宠物主人经历了与COVID-19大流行引起的日常生活变化有关的独特艰辛。应该将这些困难与其他研究中发现的潜在好处一起考虑，以便管理宠物主人的期望，防止宠物放牧并更充分地理解多方面的人与动物之间的关系。