Pets At Home announces it will ration cat and dog food in Lancashire stores

The national firm, which has shops throughout the county, has said stocks of wet cat and dog food are low and customers will be unable to buy multiple packs.

A spokesman for the company said: “Due to a widespread increase in demand for wet cat and dog food, you may have noticed your pets’ favourite products are temporarily out of stock, not only at Pets at Home but other retailers too.

“To help feed as many pets as possible, we’re limiting all multi-pack purchases of wet food to two packs per person while we work hard to restock our shelves.

“Should you need to find an alternative food for your pet, we’ve created two handy guides on how best to change their diet.

“As always, we appreciate your patience and understanding and will keep you updated as the situation progresses.”

Earlier this month it was revealed that a total of 3.2 million households in the UK have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA).

It means the country now has 17 million pet-owning homes, the association says.

The PFMA said young adults are the main drivers of this trend, with more than half of new owners aged 16 to 34.