It saddens me. Not only is being overweight just as bad for our animals as weighing more than we should is bad for us, keeping those chubby critters fed is costing us more than necessary. That's not very frugal.
If you have pets, have you ever read the feeding instructions on the back of the bag or can? If so, do you follow it? Do you actually measure out the food, or just pour/dump some into the food dish? Most people I know don't usually bother with the measuring. They just pour and eyeball, or fill the dish, thinking that doing so is saving time, that the animal will eat the correct amount, and when the dish is empty, they fill it again.
Guess what? Like us humans, our pets will overeat. Boredom, stress, and yes, even cravings induced by the ingredients in the food, will make a canine companion or feline friend chow down more than necessary. As their caregiver, it's up to you to help them eat properly.
Read the label on the pet food you buy for them. Take the time to find out what is the proper amount of feed for the size of pet you have, and how many times a day it should be offered. Then measure it out at incremented feeding times.
Giving your pets the correct amount of food not only saves on your pocketbook now by not overfeeding, it also saves later. Just like fat humans, fat pets are more prone to health problems. Feed right, feed healthy, and reduce the chances of needing long-term veterinary care. There should be no such thing as diabetic dogs or cats with high blood pressure. These are things that mimic human lifestyles; they don't occur in the natural world. Because in the natural world, animals don't often get the chance to overeat. And they certainly don't pop pills every day to keep their sugar levels or blood pressure under control.
You love your pet. Keep him or her healthy. Feed the right amount. Save yourself some money.
Very true!
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