January 10, 2019
Pets Have a Lot of New Year's Resolutions, Too
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
New Year's resolutions aren't just for humans anymore: 61 percent of pet owners have made a resolution for their dog or cat, according to new research.
The new study of 1,000 pet owners suggests that, as the ball dropped into 2019, approximately half of all dog owners made a resolution for their canine companions, compared to 27 percent of cat owners.
The most common resolutions for pets? Exercising more (56 percent), trying a new activity (49 percent), losing weight (49 percent), better hygiene (47 percent), and more playtime (44 percent).
The survey, conducted by OnePoll in collaboration with pet health company NomNomNow, found that 71 percent of pet owners view the new year as a chance to help their pet get healthier.
This makes sense, considering that 62 percent of pet owners said they've felt their dog or cat could do with losing weight.
A pet health resolution isn't just beneficial for the pet, either. Of those owners who have put their pet on a weight loss diet or exercise plan (43 percent), 81 percent have dieted/exercised with them.
More than half of pet parents surveyed said they'd be more likely to keep up with their own plan if their pet was also on one.
Why the sudden focus on health? Similarly to humans, many American pets spend the holidays overeating.
In fact, 59 percent of respondents (77 percent of dog owners) said their pets are fed more food and treats over the holidays than normally, though fewer than half of respondents are aware of the number of calories their pet consumes daily.
Many pet nutrition experts recommend that treats should not exceed ten percent of a dog's or cat's daily diet. Considering that figure, this study found that approximately 47 percent of pet parents are over-treating their animals.
"Obesity is a true epidemic in dogs and in cats and causes a number of potentially harmful long-term health issues," said Dr. Justin Shmalberg DVM, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Chief Nutrition Officer at NomNomNow. "The best decision pet parents can make for an overweight pet is to truly engage with ways to reduce calorie intake and avoid overfeeding (especially treats which can contribute a large amount to total calorie intake)."
Dogs are 36 percent more likely than cats to be overfed during the holidays, and 31 percent more dog owners admit to overfeeding than cat owners.
More than half of all pet owners said they're concerned about their pet's overeating during the holidays.
"Short-term overfeeding of pets may not cause dogs and cats to gain a huge amount of weight, but veterinarians see an increase in vomiting and diarrhea around the holidays from the introduction of foods which aren't fed regularly," said Dr. Shmalberg DVM. "Fresh foods can be a great addition to the diet of a dog or cat, but it's important to introduce them slowly and not just because there's an excess of leftovers around this time of year."
TOP 5 PET PARENT RESOLUTIONS FOR PETS IN 2019
1. Exercise more (56 percent)
2. Try new activity (49 percent)
3. Lose weight (49 percent)
4. Better hygiene (47 percent)
5. More playtime (44 percent)
