For Living Comfortably with Pets in Collective Housing
(Apartments, Condominiums) - Part 2 |
In this issue we would like to continue and
conclude the presentation, begun in the previous issue, about the
seminar, "How to live with Pets in Collective Housing," that the Tokyo
Chapter, Japanese Society of Humane Care of Animals held — with the
support of the Companion Animal Information and Research Center, the
Council on Animal Rearing in Collective Housing, and the Itabashi
District Veterinary Association — in Kumin [District Residents] Hall,
at the Takashimadaira housing complex, on Saturday, November 8. The
previous issue focused on "Behaviour Problems in Dogs ; Their Development
and Prevention." which was the subject of the first half of a lecture
given at the seminar by Dr. Aki Takumi, a researcher in ethology at
the University of Tokyo. In this issue we would like to focus on the
subject of the second half of Dr. Takumi's lecture, "Animals kept
in collective housing and how to prevent stress ." In addition, we
would like to present the results of a questionnaire survey that was
conducted, following the seminar, on those who attended. In these
ways we hope to provide useful information, and convey something of
the current situation, as regards keeping pets in collective housing.
Animals kept in collective housing and how to prevent stress:
Canine and feline behavioural needs
by Aki Takumi, DVM, MSc, PhD, Department of Veterinary Surgery,
The University of Tokyo
Let me now turn to stress-related behaviour
problems in companion dogs and cats, which often call for attention
when we think about keeping animals in collective housing. In Japan,
except countryside, buildings and houses are built very close to close
with one another, and obviously it is not possible for most of us
to provide our animal companions with a huge space. However, this
does not mean that there is no point for us to try to improve the
environment for companion animals. In fact, when the space available
is small, it becomes even more important to give proper considerations
to the behavioural needs of each species and to offer an environment
that would meet those needs.
As I mentioned earlier in today's talk,
dogs are highly social animals and one of their strongest needs is
thus one for attention from as well as interactions with the owner.
However, we see some dogs not provided with sufficient amount of interactions
with the owner because the owner is not very much in, or those not
offered many opportunities to interact with the owner except when
they are taken for walks. Dog owners should be warned that such ways
of keeping a dog will not meet the animal's behavioural needs. Likewise,
dogs have an excellent sense of smell, and for them, it is very important
to sniff around outdoors and enjoy stimulation from it. For this reason,
even if it is a small breed of dog which may not necessarily require
a huge amount of daily physical exercise to keep itself fit, the owner
should take the dog for walks. Some common forms of behaviour problems
which may occur in dogs where the behavioural needs are not met, presumably
in response to the stress, include excessive barking, self-injurious
licking and chewing, etc.
Cats are solitary animals in their nature
and do not generally have so strong a need for attention from humans
as do dogs. One of the strongest needs of cats is to satisfy their
predatory instinct. Indoor cats normally have few, if any, opportunities
to hunt prey on its own, and the owners should provide opportunities
for interactive, intensive play with those cats by manipulating objects.
Cats also have a desire to climb up on to something, as well as a
desire to scratch. Cats may not require as large a space to move about
in (a run etc.) as some dogs would, and for example, a chair can be
provided, the space the cat can utilize becomes double. Cats may also
respond to stress by excessive grooming, and may thus suffer from
loss of hair or injury caused by self-stimulation. The expressions
of emotions in cats are generally not as obvious as those in dogs.
This is considered to be the reflection of the fact that the cat is
not a pack animal and thus did not need to evolve extremely well-developed
system for communication as in the dog. However, cats do have a desire
to perform communication as in the dog. However, cats do have a desire
to perform various sorts of behaviour, even though those may not be
easily detected by human eyes. Understanding those needs and making
every effort to satisfy them is what we have to do for the sake of
our companion animals living in this country where space is unfortunately
limited.
For Living with Companion Animals in Collective Housing
Companion Animal Information and Research Center
Following the seminar, its sponsor, the
Tokyo Chapter, Japanese Society of Humane Care of Animals, conducted
a questionnaire on the attendees, asking them their opinions about
various matters related to keeping pets in collective housing. The
following is an outline of the results.
First, the attendees were asked what form
of housing they live in. Thirty-seven responded: 23 lived in collective
housing; 14, in single-unit dwellings. And to another question, 33
living in collective housing responded: 12 were prohibited from keeping
pets, 11 were allowed, 7 were tacitly allowed and 3 would not be allowed
to keep other pets than their current ones.
The reasons given for attending the seminar
included the following. "I want to properly discipline my dog." "I
live in collective housing where I keep more than one pet, and there
have been complaints from the neighbors, so I was hoping to be able
to learn some way to improve the situation." "We've created a pet
owners' group in my housing complex, and we'd like to get both the
association that manages the complex and the other residents to be
more understanding towards us." "I'm an employee of a company that
manages condominiums, so I was hoping to find out something that would
help me draw up rules for keeping pets." The reasons for interest
in this theme of keeping pets in collective housing proved to be extremely
diverse.
As for whether keeping pets in collective
housing should generally be allowed or not, those who said Yes far
exceeded those who said No, 28 to 3. The reasons given for each position
included the following.
For the affirmative position: "With more
families becoming nuclear and having fewer children, and with longevity
increasing, pets can serve to promote emotional contact among family
members." "In collective housing, where communication between people
tends grow thin, pets are needed to promote communication." "Collective
housing has become a common form of housing in cities, and since the
right to keep pets is a basic human right, we should think about the
kind of know-how that will make it possible to keep pets in collective
housing." Some people who live in collective housing keep dogs for
medical purposes for a family member. They said, " This kind of role
played by animals is something that society should be more aware of."
Among the reasons for the negative position:
"At present there are many pet owners in collective housing who do
not discipline their pets and who themselves are lacking in morals,
and who thus cause problems." "Before pets are allowed in collective
housing, some kind of system whereby pet owners and people who dislike
pets can live together should be worked out."
As shown by
the above, the matter of "keeping pets in collective housing" is a
matter related to the basic rights of collective housing residents
— for example, the right to keep pets and the right not to be disturbed.
It is thus necessary for the many concerned parties to think seriously
about this matter, taking into account such things as the effectiveness
of pets in promoting community formation in cities and how municipal
governments should respond to changes in society. And as this thinking
will be influenced by public opinion towards pets, it is important
that people who live with companion animals, and people who want to
live with companion animals in the future, behave in a responsible
manner.
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