A.S.P.C.A.

In June 2022, 26 percent of American pet owners reported that there had been times over the previous two years when they had been unable to access veterinary care, according to a survey of 5,000 people conducted by the A.S.P.C.A., which provided the data to The Times.

In a small unpublished study funded by the A.S.P.C.A. and Maddie’s Fund, an animal welfare group, Dr. Moody and her colleagues found that cats displayed fewer signs of physiological stress — with smaller pupils, slower breathing rates and more relaxed ear postures — during remote appointments than during in-person ones.

Last year, the A.S.P.C.A.’s Animal Poison Control hotline fielded nearly 7,000 calls for marijuana toxicity, an 11 percent increase from the previous year.

More than 23 million American households added a cat or dog during the pandemic, according to the A.S.P.C.A., and many of those animals have never known what it is like to be left alone all day.

Pam Reid, vice president of the A.S.P.C.A.’s behavioral sciences team, notes that dogs who are suddenly left alone may feel “confused, lonely and wondering why everyone is rushing out the door instead of spending time at home.”