While breed, age and gender can all have an influence on your pet’s tendency to put on weight, the RSPCA says that the main reason for this obesity crisis is that the food they eat contains more energy than they use up. ‘The figures are alarming,’ says Michael Bellingham, Chief Executive of the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA), ‘and the problem won’t go away without a fundamental shift in owners’ attitude to feeding their pets.’ According to the PFMA, around one in five pet owners use trial and error, rather than manufacturers’ guidelines when feeding their pets. Titbits, too, are taking their toll. A survey, reported in The Observer, indicated that a 10 per cent surge in the number of overweight pets in the previous year alone was due to owners misguidedly giving them too many high-calorie treats.
And it seems that love is blind when it comes to realising that our pets are piling on the pounds. Another survey by the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) found that while eight out of 10 owners believed their pet was the right weight, only 33 per cent of dog owners and 23 per cent of cat owners chose the ‘normal’ weight picture from a series as the one that looked most like their pet. So it seems that many of us are unaware what ‘normal weight’ looks like for our pets, and only a quarter of those surveyed said they had sought advice on whether their pets were overweight. If you are unsure whether your pet is overweight, have a look at the quick weight checks below or consult your vet.
The PFMA survey also revealed that even when owners could see that their pets were overweight, the majority believed that there was little, or nothing, they could do about it. But while we may be killing our pets with kindness, there is lots we can do in terms of good nutrition and exercise to get them in the best possible shape for a long, healthy and happy life. Read on to find out more...