Fun chat: Are you overfeeding your pet?

A local survey on more than 1000 cats and dogs owner shed light on just how "woke" Singaporeans are as pet owners.

In fact, Singaporeans are big dog lovers; almost half of the pet owners surveyed haved a canine family member. About a third of owners prefer cats, while 22% have both cats and dogs. Among the respondents, the largest group consisted of millennials (51%), followed by Gen-Xers, who make up 25%.

But while there is an increase in pet ownership, pet owners' knowledge in their animals' health care is rather lacking. For instance, the concern that almost every owner had, accoring to the survey, is having their pets develop chronic health issues.

Are you overfeeding your pet?
One way to minimise overfeeding is to use a measuring cup when portioning out your pet's meal by following the feeding recommendations on the label of your pet food packaging.

Also, for good reason. Overfeeding may lead to obesity and that may affect the musculoskeletal （Fido can develop osteoarthritis) and endocrine systems (socks may get diabetes) of the pets.

Moreover, some pet owners may not readily recognise their pet as overweight. One way to get around this blind spot is to use the Body Condition Score (BCS) system to monitor. And don't give in to your pet when it begs for food.

Lastly, I'd like to say not all activities need to be physically straining but a game of fetch, finding a hidden toy or walking around the block is sufficient to make a better difference than a calorie-ladened treat.