Our takeaway-gorging pets: Half of Britain's cats and dogs are fed fish and chips every week

By SUZANNAH HILLS

Dog's dinner: 72 per cent of cat and dog owners feed their pets unhealthy human foods and takeaways every week

Britain is facing a pet obesity epidemic because half of owners are feeding their cats and dogs unhealthy human food such as fish and chips every week, a new study revealed today.
Figures show one in three are now overweight - with 72 per cent owners allowing their pets to gorge on the leftovers of unhealthy takeaways.
And fish and chips is now being devoured by over seven million, equating to 45 per cent, of Britain's cats and dogs each week.

Tubby cat: Mickey, pictured, is just one of an increasing number of cats that are becoming overweight because of a poor diet

Animal nutritionist Stephanie Mehanna said: 'Obesity in pets is a serious issue and has become a much more common problem over the past few years.
'Our pet’s diet shouldn’t be a mirror image of our own dining habits.
'By allowing them to eat human foods we are adding a serious amount of extra calories into their diets and exposing them to ingredients they cannot tolerate.'

The research from More Than Pet Insurance showed that one in ten owners now give their pets their leftovers every day.
Eighteen per cent of owners admitted feeding their pets chicken tikka masala, while 47 per cent feed their animals dairy-laden dishes, such as lasagne and pizza.
And 18 per cent have given their cat or dog a kebab.
The study, a survey of 1,000 cat and dog owners, found that feeding the leftovers of a typical human dinner to a cat or a dog every day could add an estimated 30,4054 calories per year to the pet’s normal diet.

As part of the research, pet owners were quizzed on the reasons they were allowing their four-legged friends to tuck into a menu of unhealthy human dishes.

Paws for thought: Pets being fed human dishes such as fish and chips is leading to an increasing number of overweight animals in the UK

'However, in the long run this unhealthy love is doing much more harm than good and leading to serious health complications.
“'To ensure the well-being of their pets and protect themselves from avoidable vet bills, pet owners should take all the necessary steps to keep their pets fit, healthy and happy.'

source: dailymail