Obesity affects over half of companion dogs and cats in developed countries, causing joint pain, reduced lifespan, and diminished quality of life that owners often fail to recognise.
Companion animal obesity is a welfare crisis that is simultaneously highly visible and widely normalised. The sight of overweight dogs and cats is so common in developed countries that many owners do not recognise their animal as obese, particularly when comparison animals in their social circle are similarly affected. Yet the welfare consequences are substantial and well-documented: chronic joint pain that limits movement, predisposition to diabetes requiring ongoing management, respiratory compromise that limits exercise tolerance and disrupts sleep, and shortened lifespan measured in years rather than months. The welfare harm is compounded by the fact that obese animals often move less, play less, and engage less with their environment, reducing quality of life across multiple dimensions simultaneously. Prevention through appropriate feeding and exercise is far more effective than treatment once obesity is established.