Pet owners killing with kindness

Many of Britain's 14.5 million cats and dogs will have tucked into hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and other irresistible treats over the Easter holidays, and will be looking forward to more treats over the Spring Bank Holiday too, but the stark warning from specialist insurer RIAS is that regularly indulging pets with highly calorific foods like these could be storing up trouble for the future.

That's because it's not just humans who are getting fatter - there's an obesity crisis looming for Britain's pets too. RIAS points to worrying statistics from some of Britain's most respected animal welfare authorities showing that our cats and dogs are now among the fattest and laziest pets in Europe, taking the least daily exercise and eating the most.

It is now estimated that half of Britain's pets, more than 7 million of them, are overweight as owners regularly lavish ‘treats' such as biscuits and chocolates on them, and then fail to provide enough exercise. According to the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association, allowing cats and dogs to over eat in this way can lead to a variety of serious medical problems such as diabetes, difficulties with movement, respiratory and circulatory problems and even reduced life expectancy.

But as well as the damage owners could be causing their pets by providing unhealthy or inappropriate diets, bigger pets means even bigger vets bills. Britons are now spending in excess of £1.5m per year at the vets, and those being hit hardest in the pocket are the owners who don't have pet insurance.

RIAS Managing Director Janet Connor says: "Clearly protecting the health and well-being of pets is of paramount importance - after all, they are usually considered part of the family. We strongly advise that owners take preventative action rather than wait until a serious problem occurs. And of course, taking out a pet insurance policy can give pet owners additional peace of mind for those times when medical intervention and vet bills become unavoidable."