By Buck Wolf

April 6  — Remember a time when a dog could avoid the pounds by outrunning the dog catcher? Now, in the age of obesity, extra dog pounds takes on a whole new meaning.

The National Research Council now estimates that up to 25 percent of household pets in Western countries are obese. It's no laughing matter, but at the very least this proves one old wives' tale true — that pet owners eventually start to resemble their pets.

Fat cats and chunky dogs suffer the same growing health risks as their two-legged friends. In the last two years, doggy and kitty heart attacks have risen 47 percent, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, America's largest pet insurer.

Pet obesity is hardly just an American problem. In Berlin last week, German officials reported finding a 41-pound black and white cat that was so fat, it was barely able to walk four steps without becoming exhausted.

At six times its normal weight, the 6-year-old feline was about the same weight as a 4-year-old child, and may be one of the largest house cats in world history.

The kitty's elderly owner, who was taken to a nursing home, had apparently been feeding his pet 4 pounds of ground meat every day.

Now that Americans are starting to come to grips with the need to put their pets on diets, you can expect typical American solutions — miracle low-carb Atkins-like diets for dogs and exercise gadgets for cats. Let's take a look at some of the strange new offerings.

1. Doggie Atkins: Swimsuit season is just around the corner, and now even the mangiest mutt can jump on the low-carb craze.

Pedigree Foods is now offering the first high-protein 12-week doggie diet, inspired by the overwhelming success of the Atkins and the South Beach diets.

"Until now, moderate to severe calorie restriction using high-carbohydrate/low-fat diets was the most commonly accepted method for reducing a pet's weight," says canine nutritionist Tiffany Biere.