Love is blind

At the request of Hill’s, the market research institute YouGov asked around 4 300 dog and cat owners in France, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK about their pets’ nutrition. The findings of the survey are a cause for alarm. They show that 24 per cent of dogs and cats in France are overweight. The market researchers say that 95 per cent of all overweight cats and 60 per cent of obese dogs are at risk from latent health problems as a result. In Italy, the study found that as many as 29 per cent of pets were too fat, while 25 per cent of pets in the UK and 22 per cent in the Netherlands suffer from obesity.

Unfortunately, most pet owners are not aware of the problem. According to the study, 68 per cent of owners of overweight dogs and cats think that their pet’s weight is completely normal. Very few owners visit the vet to find out more about the weight of their pet and its implications, with only 36 per cent in France and 38 per cent in the Netherlands heading for the surgery. A much bigger percentage of dog and cat owners in the UK (50 per cent) and Italy (49 per cent) go to the vet about this subject, on the other hand.
The study also provides information on why pet owners feed their dogs and cats too much. Obesity is caused primarily by feeding treats to pets. “Dog and cat owners demonstrate their love for their four-legged friends by feeding them plentiful amounts, and often by feeding them too much,” stressed a spokesperson from Hill’s. This just goes to show that love can indeed be blind.

How are pets fed in the individual countries? The study reveals that 23 per cent of pet owners in Italy feed their pets on scraps from the table, a practice also adopted by 17 per cent in France, 13 per cent in the UK and 8 per cent in the Netherlands.
A large number of pet owners appear prepared to change their ways once they know better, however. At any rate, 50 per cent of pet owners in the UK seem prepared to feed their pets less fattening food, according to the study, provided that the food also appeals to their pets. This view is shared by 40 per cent of the Dutch pet owners and 41 per cent of the French owners.
Hill’s published the results of the study to coincide with the introduction of its new food Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic. This is reported to help dogs and cats to reach their optimum weight and maintain it.