Fuck Yeah, Animal Welfare!

iloveeucalyptus:

Sometimes I feel like the only person on the internet who doesn’t giggle and think “how cute!” when I see a morbidly obese pet.

A little bit of chub is cute, but there’s a line between “D’aaww” and me wincing.

There are just so many terrible health problems you’re causing. Your dog is not supposed to have its fat crush its lungs when it rolls on its back. That wheezing is unhealthy. I’m sure very few of you watched that pet nanny show, but it’s a legitimate animal welfare issue for you to let your pets get so fat that they won’t get up because it hurts their limbs.

It’s not like humans where I make the conscious decision to put another donut in my mouth and screw the consequences. Your pets will never think “oh hey, my back hurts because I eat so much, let me just reject this food that has been put before me.” It will continue to overeat as long as you overfeed.

And I’m not one of those “NO TABLE SCRAPS EVER ONLY DRY NASTY PET FOOD” people. My cat doesn’t even like meat. She’s a fatty. She likes Froot Loops and donuts. And cats aren’t even supposed to have a craving for sugary foods (apparently, that can be changed if you show your cat a Froot Loop at a young age not thinking she will actually eat it). Animals should get to enjoy life too. But if they can’t chase a fuzzy ball without getting winded, they’re probably missing out on other enjoyments. As in all things in life, moderation. And remembering that animals are 100% dependent on you to make intelligent choices for their health because years of domestication means they have no instincts about such things and wild cats are limited by the fact that their food is not served up in a crystal dish.