Report: Pet owners clueless about obesity in their cats and dogs

A new survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention finds an astonishing "fat pet gap" in the U.S. According to the study, 58% of cats and 53% of dogs were overweight last year. Yet more than 90% of these pets' owners incorrectly identified their four-legged friends as normal weight, the association reports. What's worse, the population of dogs and cats that are clinically obese is on the rise: 17.6% of dogs and 28.1% of cats were obese in 2014, up from 16.7% and 27.4% respectively the previous year. Obesity is associated with many diseases in pets, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, prompting APOP to put out the call for improved communication between veterinarians and clients about making better food decisions for their cats and dogs. Release