According to a recent study which took a look at how cat owners feed their pets, most of them are giving their cats low-quality food as well as scraps including cheese and chocolate. Most people don’t even know that they’re actually putting their pet’s health in danger by feeding them leftovers and takeout food. Most surprising, though, is the fact that a fifth of these people has no idea cats are carnivores!
The research conducted by the staff at Lily’s Kitchen showed that cat owners never check for food labels and most don’t even have an idea what quality cat food should contain. Cat owners are totally OK with just getting the cheapest cat food at the market and a big number jump from brand to brand depending on the best value, which is totally wrong.
According to veterinarian Rodney Zasman, some of the cheap cat food brands are no better the junk food we constantly eat. He also says that the most alarming fact is that almost no pet owner knows what their cats should eat. The poor quality, mass-produced cat food is actually doing a lot more harm than good for our pets, although no one pays attention to it. They just give their pets whatever food they think it’s OK, not being aware that it could kill them.
Four out of ten Brits feed their cats with food they aren’t sure is good, while many people give their cats treats even while being aware that it might cause harm. 40% of the participants in the research are happy to share meals with their cats, while many often feed them cheese without knowing that it can kill their pets!
Chocolate is another problem – many people offer their cats a piece of chocolate or cream which can definitely harm felines. One of the participants admitted he frequently allows his cat to eat leftover cheesecake, which can be outright deadly to kitties!
Many of the owners have taken their cats to the vet after giving them harmful food, while 28% of the participants admitted that the health problems their cats experience was due to a poor diet. Most of the owners think that the food they feed their pets with has all the nutrients the animal needs when it clearly doesn’t.
In most cases, as Dr. Zasman says, it’s not the kitty’s fault – the owner is to blame. The research has only confirmed what vets have known for a long time – that cat owners are not really aware of how damaging some foods can be for their pets’ health. Henrietta Morrison, CEO of Lily’s Kitchen, says that they’re planning to educate pet owners on the dangers of certain foods and teach them what a healthy cat diet is. In this way, the number of sick cats will be significantly reduced and the number of dead cats should go down as well.
