Breaking News | Cats are More Satisfied With Feeding Only Once A Day, Studies Find

According to a new study, cats are better at reducing hunger when fed only once a day.

In the experiment, cats that ate a large meal once a day in the morning were more satisfied than cats that ate four short meals throughout the day.

Researchers say that feeding cats only once at breakfast can reduce begging behavior such as meowing or protracting outside the cupboard.

It also reproduces the dietary pattern of wild cat cousins ​​and endures “intermittent fasts” before finding the next meal.

Reducing the frequency of feeding also helps reduce the risk of cat obesity overeating, resulting in shorter lifespans and increased susceptibility to illness.

According to experts, obesity is currently the most common nutritional problem affecting domestic cats.

VCA Animal Hospitals recommends that cat owners feed at least two meals daily, once for breakfast and one for dinner, approximately every 12 hours.

However, young cats need to burn more energy, so how often they are fed should be age-dependent.

Kittens up to 6 months old may need three meals a day, according to Francis Karfeltz of Cornell University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

“From 6 months of age to maturity, most cats get well after feeding twice a day,” he said.

However, new studies prove that a single diet can be more satisfying and natural for some cats.

Professor Adronie Verbrugghe, a research co-author at the University of Guelph in Canada, said:

“But these results suggest that this approach has advantages.”

In general, cats are habitual creatures, like normal feeding until adulthood.

Owners often know when a cat is hungry through repeated vocalizations, attempts to draw attention to the owner, and movements around the food storage area.

A study at the University of Guelph included eight healthy-weight indoor cats (4 males and 4 females) between the ages of 1 and 4.

The cats were kept together in a free living environment room at the University’s Faculty of Animal and Biological Sciences.

All cats had access to a variety of environmental enrichment sources such as toys, scratch posts, hiding boxes, perches, beds and mountaineering equipment.

They also interacted with people close to them two hours a day, five days a week.

Cats were allowed a 20-minute diet at 8 am for 90 minutes, or four times a day at 8 am, 11:30 am, 3 pm, and 6:30 pm.

Each cat spent three weeks on its own diet plan and provided the same diet and amount in both conditions.

We also equipped the harness with an activity monitor to measure voluntary physical activity.

Physical activity was higher in cats fed four times a day, but the team found that overall energy expenditure was similar between groups.

Food intake was recorded daily, body weight was measured weekly, and cat metabolism was also measured through respiration and blood.

The team found that cats that ate only once a day had higher postprandial levels of the three major postprandial hormones, suggesting that they were more satisfied.

These cats also have a low fasting respiratory index, indicating that they are burning fat stores. This is important for maintaining lean body mass.

Cats that ate only one meal a day had significantly increased blood amino acids, which allowed them to use more protein to build muscle and other important proteins.

This is important because many cats lose muscle mass with age, a condition known as sarcopenia.

“Physiologically, it makes sense to feed only once a day,” said Professor Kate Shoveler, a co-author at the University of Guelph.

“Looking at human studies, there is fairly consistent evidence that intermittent fasting and improved satiety have positive health consequences.”

The weight of cats in both groups did not change throughout the study, regardless of breeding schedule.

Their data suggest that eating once a day may be a good way to promote lean weight and stop hunger, but researchers say it fits all cats. Says it may not always be.

“This approach is actually yet another tool in the veterinarian’s or cat’s owner’s toolbox for managing cat weight and keeping animals healthy and happy,” said Barbruch.

“But we always have to look at individual animals and explain the lifestyle of cats and their owners.

“Therefore, this approach may help promote satiety in some cats, but it may not be able to help others.”

Cats Protection, a cat welfare charity, said the findings “suggest that further research is needed in this area.”

He emphasized that cats taking the drug twice a day should still be given two meals.

“In general, we recommend feeding cats twice a day for 6 months to a year,” Vanessa Howie, Head of Clinical Services at Cats Protection, told Mail Online.

“If you’re over 1 year old, we recommend once a day, but this can vary from cat to cat.

“Some cats may still need food twice, which should be based on the needs of the individual cat.

“Keeping enrichment puzzles and toys is a great way to not only keep your cat, but also to limit your snack intake and control your weight.”

This study PLOS ONE..