Chief vet with Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals in Australia said recently that pets might pick up "human lifestyle" illnesses as the non-governmental organisation has accepted many overweight pets, including cats, dogs and even a rat.

With a total population of some 20 million, Australian have raised 4 million pets dogs, 2.5 million cats, 8.7 million birds and over 12 million fishes. It is estimated that 64 percent of Australian families now keep pets.

However, the excessive eating and drinking as well as the lack of physic exercises have resulted in the overweight of over 40 percent of dogs and one third of felines. Additionally, these overweight pets are also threatened by such diseases as diabetes, arthritis, heart attack as well as liver illness at the same time.

The pets owners said they could not be so merciless when their pets turned to them for foods.

File photo provided by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia shows an overweight pet cat.

File photo provided by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia shows an overweight pet dog.

File photo provided by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia shows an overweight pet rat.