Pet hates for some but people are turning to strange creatures for comfort under Covid
While it is well established that demand for cats and dogs has risen during lockdown, figures show that many people have turned to more unusual pets for companionship during the pandemic.
With socialising all but banned in repeated lockdowns, nearly 20,000 parrots were rehomed last year by Pets4Homes, up 79% on 2019 – perhaps in the hope of extra conversation to fill the void. Chickens, stick insects and salamanders are also among the more unusual pets to have risen in popularity.
