Fifth of pets eat home-made meals

By Debbie Murray

A survey carried out during a pet competition has revealed that a fifth of cats and dogs eat a home-cooked meal every day.

Three thousand dog and cat owners in Britain took part in the survey during Drontal's My Pet Superstar contest.

The results show that one in 10 pets eat their meals at the dining table with their owners and 9 per cent are fed from cutlery.

Less unusual results from the survey showed that half of the owners questioned let their animals sleep on their bed. And owners are not only forking out on pet insurance as 40% admitted spoiling their pets with presents at Christmas and on their birthday.

Emma Milne, who was a My Pet Superstar judge, said: "No one loves you more unconditionally than your four-legged friend and aside from being great companions, pets can also have a huge impact on people's lives, providing them with emotional support.

"It for this reason that people often provide animals with the same privileges they would a human."