Do you think this is a real life episode, or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?

According to me, it seems to be a real life episode because in present society it is more of a fashion to pet animals specially in the upper class families. The rich people usually overfeed their pets in affection and show off. In some households, pets are taken care of as little children. Such incidents happen often that overfeeding becomes a problem for the pet's health. So, it does not seem to be a mere fiction or a mixture of both in any case.