They’re the extra member of the family, who doesn’t have a voice.
Just like any other mouth to feed, sometimes your pet is likely to get the leftovers from the dinner table – but now animal charities warn that bad eating habits are causing an animal obesity crisis.
UK animal charity PDSA has warned that more than five million cats, dogs and rabbits are now overweight thanks to having their bowls filled with takeaway food and sweet treats.
Amongst the list of offending items, the vet charity said owners are feeding cake, chocolate, biscuits, crisps, chips, takeaway and even alcohol to their pets.
The effect of all the fatty, sugar-rich food on your pets include obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as putting more pressure on bones and arthritis.
The charity has now launched their own pet slimming competition to try warn people not to feed their pets avoid life-harming diets.
Speaking about the competition, PDSA spokeswoman Vet Vicki Larkham-Jones said:
“Nearly half of pet owners believe that obesity is the biggest threat to animal welfare in the next 10 years – yet pets continue to be fed unsuitable diets which is fuelling the problem.
“As well as being high in calories, food like takeaways, cake, cheese, chips and crisps are high in fat and sugars which are bad for our pets’ waistlines and teeth. Some owners even admitted to giving chocolate and even alcohol, both of which are poisonous to pets and can be fatal.”
