One in four UK pets is on a diet, according to survey results released by Rosewood Pet Products*.
With excess treats and too-short walks fuelling a pet obesity time bomb warning**, Rosewood surveyed the UK’s pet owners to understand just how health-conscious owners really are when it comes to pets.
Out of those surveyed, 25 percent of pet owners admitted to putting their pets on ‘diets’, due to concerns over obesity, by eliminating table scraps from their pets’ diets and swapping fatty treats for healthier options.
Dog owners were revealed as the most likely to treat their pets, with 36 percent admitting to treating their dogs three or more times per day, compared to 19 percent of cat owners. When asked about their shopping habits, 78 percent of all pet owners admitted to always having a fully stocked treats cupboard for their pets.
Why give treats?
The top reasons provided by pet owners for treating their pets was to encourage or reward good behaviour, for training purposes and to prevent boredom.
The results also showed that 65 percent of pet owners are taking heed of the pet obesity warnings by actively seeking out treats that include healthy ingredients – such as added vitamins and supplements, high meat or fish content and vegetables.
Bev Panter, Rosewood Pet Products marketing director, commented: “It’s encouraging to see that pet parents are actively seeking out healthy treats for their pets, especially given the recent warnings surrounding pet obesity.
“It’s also important to remember that treats are not a replacement for meals and should be given as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Plus dogs, and other house pets, will need adequate exercise each day to ensure that they burn off any extra calories consumed through these additional tasty snacks.”
