Feeding pets leftovers is 'a false economy'

Published on Friday 17 April 2009 09:48

PET owners have been warned not to feed their own food to animals in order to save money after a survey showed that one in four people in Edinburgh feed eggs to cats.

Nearly 100 cat owners in Edinburgh were surveyed as part of a national poll of 1000 and 27 per cent admitted that they regularly feed their cats eggs.

Among the other foods that Edinburgh pet owners admitted that they feed to their cats were bacon, a Sunday roast, biscuits, chocolate, tea, cereal and Chinese takeaways, according to the survey by Iams Pro-Active Nutrition.

The credit crunch has been blamed for people looking to save money by feeding cats food that they already have in their home.

Vets have said that feeding cats human meals can endanger their health and lead to them suffering from malnourishment, obesity, diarrhoea and severe vomiting.

Cat behaviour counsellor Vicky Halls said: "With the credit crunch in full swing it's understandable that families are tightening their belts. However, owners need to think twice before cutting corners on pet food, as in the long run this will only lead to more outgoings, with expensive vet bills."