Obesity is the most common preventable disease in companion animals, causing chronic pain, reduced lifespan, and quality of life impairment that owners frequently do not recognize as a welfare problem.
Pet obesity is a welfare problem that develops gradually through good intentions. Owners who feed treats to express affection, interpret food-seeking behavior as hunger, and resist the distress of a begging pet are not being cruel — they are misinterpreting what kindness means for a species that evolved in an environment of periodic food scarcity. The animal with a healthy body weight lives longer, hurts less, and moves more freely. Obesity causes chronic pain from joint loading, breathlessness, and reduced ability to participate in enriching activities. Recognizing overfeeding as a welfare harm rather than an expression of care is the fundamental shift needed to address the companion animal obesity epidemic.