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Australia is famously a nation of animal lovers, but for thousands of older Australians, that quiet, comforting bond with a cat comes with a cruel choice: surrender your beloved companion, or forgo the essential care you desperately need.
New research from the Companion Animal Network Australia’s (CANA) 2025 Pet Friendly Aged Care Survey reveals a devastating national disconnect. While a massive 96% of Australians believe aged care residents should be allowed to keep their pets, the reality for facilities tells a different story.
The survey attracted 2,846 responses—more than double the number from the 2023 survey—showing the public passion for this issue is growing.
The Health Crisis of Separation
The consequences of this policy gap are shockingly severe. The emotional harm of giving up a pet is profound, often leading to physical risk. The survey found that 22% of older adults receiving in-home care have delayed essential personal medical treatment because they had no one to look after their cat or other pet.
“The emotional harm of being forced to give up a beloved animal is profound. Older Australians shouldn’t have to choose between care and companionship,” says Trish Ennis, CEO of CANA.
This crisis is not for a lack of recognition of the benefits. Across all respondents, 86% of Australians say pets in aged care are ‘vitally important,’ and 78% believe that pets improve mental and physical health in these settings. Furthermore, companionship and reduced loneliness were cited as the most highly valued benefits of pet ownership among those surveyed.
A Widening Gap in Residential Care
Despite the overwhelming public consensus, external data indicates that only 18% of residential facilities currently allow residents to keep a pet.
Facilities themselves are aware of the challenge: from CANA’s survey, half of all facilities rated themselves low on pet-friendliness, and only 23% have formal pet policies in place.
“Both facilities and residents understand how important pets are to health and happiness, but the sector still struggles to turn that understanding into action,” says Ms Ennis. This suggests a widening gap between public attitudes and the realities of aged care policy and practice.
No Help for Home-Bound Mates
The problem is equally acute for seniors living at home who rely on government-funded Home Care Packages (HCPs), which are meant to support seniors to live at home for longer.
For an older cat owner, tasks like regular litter box cleaning, transport to the vet, or grooming quickly become impossible. Of the 325 respondents receiving in-home care, the CANA survey found that only 9% are receiving pet care services from their current aged care package provider.
The most requested services highlight the critical need: emergency fostering (91%), support with walking (64%), and help taking a pet to the vet (59%).
Breaking Down the Barriers
According to the survey, aged care providers cite a lack of education (45%), resources (42%) and funding for facility design changes (45%) as the major barriers to becoming pet-friendly.
“Education and understanding are key,” says Ms Ennis. “Facilities that welcome pets see happier residents, stronger family connections and greater community interest. It’s not just good welfare – it’s good business.”
CANA is strongly advocating that the Support at Home program (the new name for the HCP) must formally include provisions for pet care. Ms. Ennis concludes that these provisions would help people stay healthy and at home for longer and, crucially, "help to prevent animals from being euthanised or surrendered to shelters.”
“As our population ages, keeping people and pets together is an essential part of maintaining both physical and mental health,” says Ms Ennis. “The evidence is clear—pets are good for people. Now it’s time for aged care to catch up and acknowledge that for many Australians, a purring cat is not a luxury, but a non-negotiable family member.”
References
* The 2023 Pet Friendly Aged Care Survey data is based on 1,130 participants including older adults, aged care staff and the wider public.
** The most comprehensive report available on pet-friendly aged care facilities was done in 2018 by the Stafford Group. An online audit of 2,933 facilities found that only 18% allowed residents to keep a pet.
*** Home Care Packages (HCPs) will be renamed Support at Home program starting Nov 1, 2025, replacing both the HCP and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs.
About Companion Animal Network Australia (CANA)
CANA is a national registered charity and advocacy network representing companion animal welfare groups across Australia, providing rescue, re-homing, and health care services for over 20,000 animals annually. Through national campaigns like the Pet Friendly Aged Care initiative, which champions the right of older Australians to keep their own beloved pets and aims to prevent the catastrophic emotional harm caused by separation, Rent with Pets, and Pets in Business, CANA advocates for the human-animal bond. You can discover resources, including sample policies and guidelines for pet-friendly care, at
https://petfriendlyagedcare.com.au/ or learn more about CANA at
www.australiacan.org.au.
