New study reveals Liverpool's pets have the poshest palates in the UK

RESEARCH of Liverpool's animal owners has revealed that Scouse pets are posher than any other pets in the UK when it comes to telling the difference between cheap and expensive food.  The research, which looked at fussy eating habits of UK pets, found pets in Liverpool are the most likely to be able to tell the difference between low quality and high quality food.

The research also revealed that a whopping 36% of Liverpudlian pet owners have even fed their choosy pets steak, while 1 in 5 treated them to smoked salmon.  31% of owners have fed their cat or dog ice cream, while ⅓ of Liverpool's pets regularly sit down to a full roast dinner with all the trimmings. Alarmingly, 11% of Liverpool's pet owners make their pet a cooked breakfast every single morning, according to the research.  Spaghetti bolognese (17%), crisps (19%), sausages (42%), and mash (11%) are also among the human foods us Scousers regularly feed our furry friends, according to the data.

The study, by pet food brand Webbox Naturals, found as many as 77% of UK pet owners say they have a picky pooch or a fussy feline. In Liverpool alone, almost 40% said they can't bear to give their pet poor quality food that's full of 'nasties.' And 36% said they worry that their pet isn't eating enough.

The study also found that 47% of Liverpool's pet owners regularly let their animals eat food from their own plate, with ¼ often letting their pets lick their plates clean. ⅓ of Liverpool's pet owners also claim they always like to serve their furry friend the very best food that money can buy.

Webbox Naturals pet recipe consultant Camille Ashforth said:- "It's great to see from the research just how dedicated the nation's pet owners are in terms of feeding their pets quality food."

TV Vet Paul Manktelow commented:- "While feeding a small amount of appropriate human foods to pets can be OK, it's important to remember what they can have and what they should never be given. There is really no substitute for a proper diet based on nutritional species appropriate food which has all the right vitamins and minerals for your pet."

Camille continued:- "We are confident even the fussiest of pets will enjoy our yummy range which has been carefully developed using high quality ingredients which are also kind to sensitive tummies. We've included a number of new humanised recipes which performed very well during extensive, independent taste testing; such as Lamb and Chicken with Sweet Potato, Peas and Mint."

17% of correspondents in Liverpool have done a late night supermarket run to buy food they know their pet will eat, and 22% routinely hide edible treats around the house so their cat or dog will go and hunt them out. Liverpool has ultimately been revealed as 1 of the most sharing of Regions when it comes to their takeaway habits with 25% of locals regularly sharing their takeaways with their pets, compared to the national average of 14%.

So, do you have a pet? Please send us a pic of your pet's food and lets see who makes the best presentation as well!  Sadly we can't pay for the photos, but we would still love to show them to our other readers, so please remember to say that we can use them when you send them to us via emailing:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

Liverpool ranks 4th in the 10 Most Rat Infested Cities in the UK

LOCKDOWN has created an ideal habit for the rat; with careless waste habits, vacant shops, and quiet streets, leading to a breeding frenzy in Liverpool, a survey finds. Jenny Rathbone from UK Pest Control company Pest.Co.UK told us:- "They say you are only ever 6ft away from a rat; and in Liverpool this is quite possibly true!"  The survey of 3,400 callouts, in October 2020, across the UK by Pest.Co.UK reveals the Cities where you are most likely to spot a rat. Shockingly, Liverpool came number 4 in the list of:- "Rattiest" places in the UK. Rathbone explains:- "Rats can breed like mad, so we get localised infestations, where a breeding pair can create 6 litters of 6 to 12 pups a year, creating more breeding pairs and so on; hence why you need to get these problems under control fast."

The Cities with the most rat infestation callouts in October 2020 were:-

1. Birmingham - 353.

2. Newcastle - 305.

3. Leeds - 266.

4. Liverpool - 251.

5. City of London - 190.

6. Manchester - 187.

7. Sheffield - 155.

8. Cardiff - 139.

9. Bristol - 131.

10. Edinburgh - 120.

"Rats are loving life at the moment, they are being left to breed in vacant shops with abandoned bins; the technicians out on the road have seen nothing like this before..." explains Jenny Rathbone from UK Pest Control company Pest.Co.UK. Rats do not need much to get by; mainly food and shelter. The damage they can cause to buildings when left unchecked can be severe and in the worst cases can lead to fire and flood.  The worry is that with a cold winter and more lockdowns that we will be creating a:- "perfect storm" of rodent infestations across the UK. "It's really important not to leave food scraps around, even compost bins have been known to attract rats in large numbers, a tidy and clean environment helps reduce these problems massively; however if you love rats, head to Liverpool!" concludes Jenny Rathbone from Pest.Co.UK.