AT BREAKFAST TIME, your dog is at your feet, looking longingly at that half slice of toast left on your plate. When you’re out, he bounds up to you, tail wagging, knowing he’ll get one of those treats in your pocket if he comes to your call. And as soon as you arrive home your cat winds herself round your legs, hurrying you on to produce the fatty snack she’s come to love.
The trouble is, when we feed our pets, very few of us count the calories. That one half slice of leftover toast given to a 5kg dog, for instance, is equivalent to us popping an extra five slices on our plate after we’ve finished everything we usually eat.