This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine study programme in Croatia. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the course on animal welfare. Student opinions were assessed on the basis of their mean responses to five-point Likert scale questions and frequency of responses to Yes/No/I do not know questions and ratio scale questions. Study results revealed students to have strongly positive opinions towards companion animals and their welfare. The majority of student statements did not differ significantly between the first and sixth study years or before and after having attended the animal welfare course in the first study year, mostly yielding a straight, non-fluctuating line. Students were not sure whether welfare of companion dogs and cats was compromised. Study results pointed to reliable and reasonable opinions of veterinary medicine students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, as well as to the welfare issues these species may be facing nowadays.

Exotic pet medicine is rapidly evolving, with reptiles becoming increasingly popular pet animals. Yet, there are only a few literature reports on veterinary perception of reptiles kept as pets. The aim of the study was to assess opinions and knowledge of the Croatian veterinarians-to-be about pet reptiles and their welfare. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the academic year 2019–2020 and included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the compulsory course on animal welfare. Questionnaire statements were 5-point Likert scale questions, requiring the students to express their opinions about turtles, lizards and snakes as pets, issues related to their welfare, risks they pose to the health and safety of humans, other animals and the environment, and their self-reported knowledge about pet reptiles. Although expressing higher opinions after having attended the course on animal welfare, first-year student responses remained neutral to most of the statements. Such a trend continued until the end of the study. Student responses revealed that they were uncertain about their knowledge of reptiles as pets, considering different educational areas observed. Study results emphasised the need of alterations in veterinary curriculum and additional student education in reptile medicine. The results obtained have broad implications involving not only the welfare of pet reptiles in clinical practice and elsewhere but also the health and safety of humans and other animals, as well as environmental protection.

The rapid increase in companion animal ownership has intensified the demand for innovative tools that support animal health and overall welfare. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), has emerged as a promising approach in veterinary medicine. However, its application beyond clinical diagnostics, especially in behaviour and personality assessment, remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated into routine practice. This systematic review aims to synthesise current knowledge on AI-based applications in companion animal care, with a focus on behavioural monitoring, personality prediction, and welfare-related challenges. Following PRISMA guidelines, a structured literature search was conducted in the Scopus and PubMed databases from 2020 to 2025. In addition, grey literature sources were searched to capture relevant non-peer-reviewed data. A total of 115 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Eligibility criteria included studies applying AI methods (machine learning or deep learning) to companion animals (dogs, cats, and exotic pets), while studies on humans, farm animals, or without AI methods were excluded. Due to the heterogeneity of included studies, no formal risk of bias assessment was performed, and results were synthesised narratively. The findings indicate that AI applications are most advanced in diagnostic imaging and clinical decision support, where data availability and methodological maturity are highest. In contrast, AI-based approaches for behaviour and personality prediction remain limited, particularly in cats and exotic companion animals, largely due to small, heterogeneous datasets, potential bias, and a lack of external validation. Emerging technologies such as wearable sensors, computer vision, and multimodal data integration demonstrate substantial potential for continuous behavioural monitoring and early detection of welfare-related issues in real household environments. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist, including data heterogeneity, limited model explainability, ethical considerations, and the absence of regulatory frameworks specifically addressing AI-based veterinary applications. Overall, this review highlights a substantial gap between the technical potential of AI and its current readiness for widespread application in companion animal behaviour and welfare assessment. Future research should prioritise large-scale and standardised data collection, cross-species validation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure that AI-driven tools effectively support veterinary decision-making, animal welfare, and the well-being of owners.

Non-traditional or exotic pets are increasingly popular worldwide

Dobrobit životinja ne obuhvaća samo njihovo fizičko, već i njihovo mentalno zdravlje te može varirati od vrlo lošega do vrlo dobrog stanja. Uvriježeno je mišljenje da je, u usporedbi s intenzivnom proizvodnjom, dobrobit životinja u ekstenzivnim sustavima proizvodnje manje ugrožena, no uvjeti proizvodnje u ekstenzivnome stočarstvu mogu predstavljati znatan rizik za dobrobit unatoč većoj mogućnosti životinja da izraze vrsno specifično ponašanje. Pothranjenost životinja među najvećim je rizicima koji proizlaze iz neodgovarajuće hranidbe. Izazovi povezani s hranidbom najčešće se odnose na varijabilnost u dostupnosti i kvaliteti hrane i vode, pri čemu su klimatski uvjeti i gustoća naseljenosti neki od ključnih čimbenika koji utječu na dostupnost i kvalitetu krme, a potom nadmetanje za resurse s istovrsnim i drugim životinjama, utjecaj grabežljivaca i straha na unos hrane, korištenje neprikladnih mineralnih dodataka, otrovanja biljkama te temperaturni stres. Najvažniji je izazov postići konsenzus o relevantnim pokazateljima dobrobiti na koje hranidba u ekstenzivnoj proizvodnji može utjecati i postaviti prihvatljive minimalne standarde. U ekstenzivnome stočarstvu trebale bi se implementirati inovacije temeljene na praksi, koje podupiru suradnju i razmjenu znanja s proizvođačima. Izazov za proizvođače jest osiguranje uvjeta i fleksibilnosti u praksi, koji će životinjama omogućiti da izraze vrsno svojstveno ponašanje i nose se s izazovima na način koji se u najvećoj mjeri povoljno odražava na njihovu dobrobit i proizvodnost.

The welfare of pet rabbits is frequently compromised despite increasing recognition of their complex behavioural and physiological needs. Although owner knowledge is considered an important determinant of animal care, the relationship between perceived knowledge and actual husbandry practices remains poorly understood. This study aimed to (i) describe husbandry practices and owner-reported knowledge among pet rabbit owners in Croatia and (ii) assess whether higher perceived knowledge is associated with greater alignment with recommended husbandry practices. Data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed to rabbit owners (n = 529). The study assessed owner-reported husbandry practices and perceived knowledge but did not include direct assessments of rabbit health or welfare. Although most respondents reported high levels of knowledge regarding rabbit care (85.6%), this was not consistently reflected in implemented husbandry practices. Higher perceived knowledge was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with environmental enrichment, housing type, and cleaning frequency, but these associations were generally weak to moderate. In contrast, perceived knowledge showed little or no association with several key welfare-related practices, including social housing and access to free movement, while only limited associations were observed for feeding practices. These findings reveal a substantial knowledge–practice gap, suggesting that confidence in rabbit care knowledge does not necessarily translate into appropriate husbandry. Therefore, educational approaches focused solely on information provision may be insufficient to ensure the implementation of recommended husbandry practices.