13 THINGS

Ways to Help Your Pet Live Longer

- Anna-Kaisa Walker

1 Chubby isn’t cute if it means an early death. An overweight fur baby is prone to a host of joint, digestive, respiratory and urinary problems that can trim up to 2.5 years off its lifespan.

2 One way to help your pet shed pounds: cut back on treats. “A client of mine would give her dog Milk Bones every time she took him for walks,” says Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury, a veterinarian in St. John’s, Nfld. “Turns out the treats alone were equivalent to a full day’s calories.”

3 Indoor cats live up to twice as long. Cats who are allowed outside are vulnerable to cars, wildlife and other cats, who can carry diseases like feline leukemia, which is transmitted through bodily fluids.

4 Give indoor cats outlets for their natural behaviours. “A puzzle feeder toy can stimulate their hunting instincts, and an elevated perch