Did you know that approximately 54.0% of cats in the United States are overweight and 55.6% of dogs are also overweight? To make matters worse, 20% are obese (these statistics are taken from the 2010 Pet Obesity Study). It’s a shocking statistic, considering that being overweight is a major problem in the United States for people, and now we see it spilling over into the lives of our pets. What is causing this growing problem of unhealthy pets?

The causes are many, but the biggest cause is the negligence of the owner in what consists of a healthy diet for a pet. Popular pet feeding methods are putting large amounts of food in a bowl so the pet has constant access to food, or feeding the pet too many times during the day, with the combination of unhealthy foods. Now let’s face it, owners feed pets this way because it’s the easy way out. It’s no different than going to get some fast food for dinner. Americans are slowly falling into the trap of taking the quick and easy way out.

Now, I’m not trying to write an article about who we should be as Americans, I’m trying to make everyone aware of this health risk: We’re literally hand-feeding our pets. Whether we are lazy or not, it is best to look for solutions, so how can we help keep our pets healthy and happy so that they love us? Well, there are some options. The most obvious solution is to research healthy foods and research healthy portions for your pet. As much as I would like to know what is the right amount to feed your pet, I honestly can’t because it advises a lot from one pet to another. The other solution is perhaps much easier. The number of automatic pet feeders being purchased increases almost every year and they offer an exceptional way to keep your cat or dog fed with very little maintenance. Automatic cat or dog feeders probably look expensive, but I bet they cost less than you think. Depending on how complex you want your model, they sell for between 10 and $100.

There are many benefits to getting an automatic pet feeder. To quickly summarize a few, you can choose how many times you want to feed your pet per day, how much each serving is, and some models even allow your cat or dog to learn to feed itself! This might seem to defeat the purpose, as your pet would get all the food they wanted, but don’t worry, most automatic pet feeders like this one only dispense a few pellets at a time. Pets are generally very persistent, settling for less food than they would normally gorge themselves on. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll take steps to help your pet or other pets from the increasing health risks to them.