A new survey commissioned by Healthy Bark & Purr, an Ohio-based pet insurance company, showed that 52% of respondents plan on feeding their pets leftovers this holiday season.

The top reason cited for sharing food scraps with their pet was "I love my pet and want to see him happy." Unfortunately, this can lead to serious complications, according to Dr. Jeff Nichol, D.V.M., spokesperson for a program called "No Scraps", a healthy pet educational initiative from Healthy Bark & Purr.

The biggest cuplrits, the survey found, are the parents. Mom and Dad are nearly three times as likely to provide extra helpings to their pet than the children are. "This can set a bad example for both the pet and the children of the household", said Dr. Nichol, who practices general and behavior medicine of pets.

In addition, only 20% of those surveyed thought their pet was overweight, while national statistics put that number closer to 50%, according to Dr. Nichol. "This disconnect underscores the need for more education and is precisely why Healthy Bark & Purr pet insurance created "No Scraps" as an information source on healthy pet feeding habits," said Nichol.

The survey was conducted in November 2004 through e-mail with 575 pet owners from 25 to 64 years old. The survey was active for eight days to research the different feeding habits of pet owners and how it affects their pets' behavior. Some key findings also found that pet owners had a distorted perception of their pets health as well as a high awareness of pet insurance.