Warning over pampered pets

Fat cats are not only confined to the boardrooms of Britain. More than half the nation's feline pets are overweight, under-exercised and suffering from dental problems, according to the PDSA.

Cat owners are warned they could be shortening the lives of their pets by pampering them too much.

Allowing them to snack at all hours while failing to ensure they stay in shape has led to a mass of cat casualties who are suffering because of an overdose of the good life, says the animal charity.

Mary Cox, senior vet for the PDSA, which treats more than 4,500 pets every day, said: "I have been seeing some worrying statistics from our hospitals across the country.

"The reason we're trying to bring the problem to light is because overweight pets suffer quite a lot of problems, as they get older in particular.

"It is not so much feeding the wrong diet as feeding too much of the right diet. Cats are willing to scrounge a lot and it's amusing to see it, but, as with ourselves, dieting should be strict, routine and regular. We're making a mistake by snacking our pets just as we snack ourselves."

This is not the first time Britain's pet owners have been accused of killing their animals with kindness. Past surveys have highlighted Britain as home to the fattest pets on the continent. Many pet owners confuse-over-feeding with expressing affection, which has led to an epidemic of tubby tabbies, many of which suffer from the side effects of lethargy, arthritis and heart disease.

The solution for pampering owners is to closely monitor their cats' diets and to choose the food most appropriate for the individual pet, according to Ms Cox.

And, with a thriving pet food industry worth more than £1.5 billion a year, finding the right meal should not be a problem. Ms Cox said: "It's important to tailor the food you feed to the lifestyle of the pet."

One self-confessed fat-cat owner is Ian Aldry, who finds it hard to resist spoiling his five-year-old pet Dylan. He said: "He just seems to enjoy his food. He tries to pretend to be a guest at the dinner table and likes Chinese takeaways.

"He doesn't appear to have trouble getting around, but he seems to slump rather than sit elegantly."