Hi everyone,
Us and our three mischievous moggies (well three royals really! 😉 ) are taking part in the IAMS Pet Pledge Project.
What is the reason behind the Pet Pledge project? Many pet guardians in the UK or elsewhere in the world often don’t realise that their pets are overweight! In fact it’s recently come to light across the UK at least that many people think that their pets are the right weight while actually they are not…
In some cases this is down to the fact that people feed their pets with non art specific food that is too high in carbohydrates and is lacking other nutritions meaning your pet eats more food and takes in more calories than they should! Some owners have even admitted to regularly feed their pets with human food , often stuff that neither a dog or cat should eat in the first place!
This is why IAMS has setup this new project to raise awareness of obesity in pets and encourage pet parents to take part in the challenge to make a positive change to their pet’s life.
As we are already feeding high quality food and avoid human food as snacks (apart from the occasional strip of our freshly cooked chicken!) our pledge is to spend more play time with our three kitties. 🙂
Since all three of ours are indoor only even on a healthy diet the lack of outdoor activity can cause them to put on weight especially during the winter time so toys such as interactive teaser toys come in handy here. 😀
Our pledge for the challenge is to spend plenty of playtime with our three each day to ensure that they stay in tip-top condition and don’t turn into Garfield’s during this cold period of the year. 😉
So what will you do as a pledge to help your cats (or dogs) stay healthy?!?
Full Details of the campaign by IAMS below:
PAWS-ITIVE CHANGES
IAMS challenges British pet parents to make a paws-itive change to their pet’s life
- 49% of dogs and 44% of cats in the UK now considered overweight or obese
- Despite this, 70% of owners ‘treat’ their pet to human food which can lead to weight gain
- Naan bread, muffins and cereal among the foods given to pets
- 15% claim their pet guilt trips them into giving up titbits and treats
- The IAMS Pet Pledge has launched to encourage owners to give pets a happy and healthy lifestyle
With a shocking 49% of dogs and 44% of cats in the UK now considered overweight or obese by vets2, it’s time for pet lovers to take action with the IAMS Pet Pledge. Whether it’s a promise to improve their nutrition, more weekend walkies or those purrfect snuggles, IAMS is encouraging owners to make a pledge this new year for happier and healthier family pets all over the country.
The IAMS Pet Pledge launches as new research reveals that despite that fact that almost three quarters (72%) of us understand the negative health impacts of sharing our meals, most owners (70%) will still ‘treat’ their pet with human food. And almost a quarter (24%) of pet lovers are guilty of giving their pet daily human titbits as they believe that they enjoy the taste, despite what impact it may have on their health.
With one in ten (11%) believing that their pets prefer human treats, and a further 15% giving into their furry friend’s yearning look, it poses the question – do we believe the way to our pets’ hearts is through sharing our food?
Over half of those surveyed claimed the perfect feeding routine is two healthy and balanced meals but with treats in between. And the typical UK dog or cat will enjoy breakfast at 7.43am with dinner being served 10 hours and 45 minutes later, at precisely 6.28pm. Plenty of time in-between meals for those unnecessary treats.
Cat lovers are more concerned about how their feline friend feels about the dish they are serving, expressing concerns about liking the taste, seeking variety and even believing that our food is better for them. Whereas, those with pet pooches literally serve up a dog’s dinner, with a whopping 44% admiting they feed the family dog leftovers!
Other ‘treats’ given to pets include naan bread, muffins and cereal. Rather shockingly, 14% of pet owners will share foods they know could upset their pet’s health, with one in five admitting their cat or dog has suffered from vomitting or diarrhoea as a direct result of eating human food that they have given them.
It’s not just diet that needs a new year overhaul for our pets, many are lacking in regular, quality exercise with 30% exercising their dog for less than 30 minutes each day. For those who do walk their dogs daily, the average dog walk for most medium sized breeds takes just over one hour (one hour and four minutes to be exact).
When it comes to cats, they enjoy 34 minutes of play each day, often playing on their own and chasing things such as string or toys. Perhaps this could be a reason why only one in ten (10%) cat owners believe exercise is a key factor in maintaining overall health (vs. 41% of dog owners).
The research also asked pet owners when their pet was at their happiest, and for dogs it was when going for a walk and for cats it was sleeping in the same bed as their owners – proving that human interaction is more important to our pet’s happiness than human food!
According to IAMS Nutrition Expert and Veterinary Training Manager, Kellie Ceccarelli, the secret to your pet’s wellness is all about understanding what your pet needs to be happy and healthy:
“As a pet parent myself, I completely understand how hard it is to say no when faced with puppy-dog eyes, or a little meow begging for a taste of something you are eating. Although some human foods are not harmful, such as boneless chicken or white boneless fish, some human foods can be dangerous. Feeding titbits often leads to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of heart problems, diabetes and joint issues.
As the survey shows, we feed our pets treats because we believe they enjoy the taste and it makes them happy. To ensure your pet is truly happy, we have to make sure they’re healthy. That’s why we’re launching the IAMS Pet Pledge; asking people to make a promise to their pet that we hope will become a lifelong commitment to their health through nutrition, activity,play and of course, plenty of cuddle time.”
Join IAMS, by making a pledge to your pet at http://www.iams.co.uk/iams-pet-pledge. Whether it be through improving their nutrition, more weekend walkies or those purrfect snuggles, the IAMS Pet Pledge is a community for pet owners to share their own experiences and pick up helpful advice from the nutrition experts at IAMS.
I find it very positive, that IAMS are taking this challenge up, Marc. They do make good food for our animals, but often it contains much more fat than necessary, which again demand much more exercise to avoid obese in our pets.
They’ve been doing a lot to improve their food which is also good. 🙂
More play time sounds like more fun for everyone! And healthier!
And more rest time for Nubia LOL. Renegade has too much energy for her at times. Tho yesterday she play chased him so fast that he got scared LOL. Nubia might only have three paws but she is a bit like Yoda from StarWars
Agree completely with these findings – as an owner I tend to convince myself that my dogs really need treats. Obviously they do not
Thanks deb ^^
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I bought 2 of those for the fur-kids over Christmas…..I carried them home in my bag. Dangling over my shoulder. I got some strange looks. My thinking way…..”What! If the cats follow me home I get to keep them, right?”…..it’s nice to dream. cheers,H
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I just signed up to this pledge yesterday and I think it is awesome that IAMS is doing this since I don’t get my pets their food because it’s like Ceaser or Purina. I definitely agree with IreneDesign2011. I have tried this food once for my pets before but they got quite sick. I hope that their upgraded food is better than their current food. Thanks for letting us know! I LOVE PETS!
Thank you <3
Marc, luv what IAMS is doing but they still are guilty for high carb and fat dry food. Abet, their dry is better than most other pet food makers. I totally agree with the content of your blog because most folks get lazy and put out dry food 24/7’s which is getting them fat. Liver, pancreas, and heart are grossly affected. Right now in the USA, feline diabetes is the highest health risk for a domestic cat. I am not against feeding human food provided it is meat based and provided as a snack only. Cats need meat and that is something I hope all cat lovers and owners understand.
Thanks Claude <3
And yes pet diabetes is on the rise here as well. 🙁
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Ha ha ha the UK pampers its pets! In the USA we have a similar problem though. I am lucky, I only feed wet food in modest portions and my vet recently checked Pepsi and said he is a good weight! So hopefully we are avoiding the pet obesity problem!
We do pamper them too much sadly xD luckily ours are not toooo bad. But with winter and being indoor it’s important to prevent getting fatter before it’s too late. ?