New Research Reveals ‘Faux Paws’ At Feline Mealtime

A survey sponsored by “9 Lives” brand cat food (Del Monte Foods) found that 94% of U.S. cat owners believe they feed their felines the most nutritious meals possible. However, 48% have fed their cat(s) table scraps on average seven times per month and only 30% know that cow’s milk is unhealthy for cats, most of whom are lactose intolerant.

Other findings from the Pet Parent Purrception Survey include:

• 40% of cats suffer from obesity.
• 26% of cats have never visited the veterinarian.
• The vast majority of cat owners said they would be willing to switch their cat’s food if they new it would improve their cat’s health (92%) or add years to their cat’s life (91%).
• A large number of cat owners give their felines food choices they mistakenly believe are healthy, such as root vegetables (73%), green tomatoes (54%), and raw potatoes (50%).
• 75% of cat owners believe that the more nutritious a cat food is, the more expensive it is.
• 70% think it’s beneficial to keep their cats on a dry food only diet, while 23% think a purely vegetarian diet is a “wholesome choice” for cats.