Iams UK Reports That “Paw” Diets Can Cost Live

Added: (Mon Nov 10 2008)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Eating a healthy diet may be most people’s New Year resolution, but how often do pet owners give their cats diet the same attention? According to vets not often enough, as a recent survey of UK vets has revealed that obesity is now the biggest threat to cats in the UK.

With 50% of pets now overweight it seems naive owners are to blame for a growing trend in mis-feeding their beloved pets, as 52% of vets polled citing a rise in the nutritionally related cases they treat. Vets believe that over half of the cat owners they see are misinformed when it comes to a cat’s nutritional needs. 39% of owners are overfeeding, and 15% treat cats like one of the kids with a diet consisting of ‘human’ food.

Dental problems and diabetes, two commonly recognised dietary related diseases in humans, join obesity at the top of the list of health threats for cats, so it’s not surprising that feeding cats a poor quality pet food was voted the top offender by a fifth of vets – highlighting that the link between a cats’ diet and their general wellness has never been stronger. To curb this increase, 79% of vets have welcomed the launch of an online resource that hopes to combat obesity and dietary misunderstandings. www.whatsinyourcatfood.com was launched by Iams UK to provide cat owners access to information on what to feed their pets, including details on cat nutrition and how to check your cat food labels when shopping.

Penny Watson, from Cambridge Vet School said; “Many people forget that the metabolism and dietary requirements of cats differ greatly from our own (and indeed even from that of dogs). It is so important to provide your cat with the essential nutrients they need, and to take care in ensuring the quantity and quality of the food you are feeding is suitable.”

Almost 50% of vets agreed the first simple step to ensuring your cat is healthy and receiving all the nutrients it needs is to switch to a premium pet food. For example cat owners should check that the food they are giving is a premium dry food made with high quality ingredients and with a minimum of 26% animal protein, such as chicken – it’s a simple change that could not save your cats life but pounds too, as according to 82% of vets the average fee for treating a condition related to poor diet can cost up to £200.

Marc Abraham, in-house vet on the Paul O’Grady Show, supports the new website, “I see many overweight cats with problems that can be so easily prevented by owners making changes to their cats’ diet, which is why www.whatsinyourcatfood.co.uk is great. We all seem to understand that we need a quality, balanced diet for ourselves, but when it comes to our cats, some handholding is essential.”

For more information about Iams and activities Iams is involved in, go to Iams UK, Iams UK, Iams UK Iams UK.