RESEARCH - Cats Are Healthier When They Work for Their Food

A recent study out of the University of California Berkeley showed that food puzzles, which take advantage of the feline hunting instinct and make them work for their food, result in happier and healthier cats.

Published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the study states that foraging for food makes cats more active, they experience reduced levels of stress, and become less demanding of their owners.

The researchers describe over 30 case studies within their own practice where food puzzles positively impacted a variety of issues including aggressive behaviour, antisocial behaviour, obesity, inappropriate urination, anxiety or depression when left alone, and even stalking the household guinea pigs.

One sixteen-year-old obese cat lost 32% of her body weight in 18 months and began to interact and forage with the new kittens in the home after being fearful and antisocial.

A three-year-old British short hair who had been biting the owner with no warning when anticipating meals or not getting attention, completely stopped this behaviour after six months of using mobile and stationary food puzzles.

There are a variety of food puzzles on the market for cats.

In July, InfoStream featured the innovative NoBowl system which is made to look like mice. The NoBowl is an example of a mobile puzzle which requires cats to push, roll or manipulate the puzzle.

With a stationary puzzle Felines learn to navigate a board. Most often they have to fish food out of the puzzle with their paws.

Owners can even make their own puzzles if they are the DIY types.

Figure 1

Homemade mobile (a), homemade stationary (b), purchased stationary (c) and purchased mobile (d) food puzzles. Courtesy of Mikel Delgado (a,c), Leticia Dantas (b) and Ingrid Johnson (d)

Cats can be particular about which type of puzzle they prefer - as they can be particular about many other aspects of their lives - so trial and error may be necessary to find the best puzzle.

Some cats may also like variety so alternating between different puzzles can keep them happy and interested.

Food puzzles were originally created to provide enrichment for captive zoo and laboratory animals. It’s interesting they are now being used to benefit the health of domesticated cats and dogs as pet owners strive to make their pets’ lives as positive and fulfilling as possible.

STUDY: What Is Living Inside Felines?

Holly Ganz, a researcher at University of California, Davis said, "Like us, animals are enveloped in a cloud of microbes. We're really interested in them because they influence health and behavior. The gut microbiome is really important, and it's also very diverse and complicated." Felines are known as obligate or true carnivores and are healthiest on high-protein diets. Many commercial diets however tend to be carbohydrate heavy. Ganz and a team of researchers have set out to discover the microbiome of domestic and wild felines. Microbiomes are the bacteria and microorganisms that inhabit a body.

Unsurprisingly, people do not know much about the microbiome of a feline. This gap in our knowledge however could have consequences for felines; microbes can affect digestion and the immune system and also influence obesity, diabetes, and irritable bowel diseases. Ganz’s study is the first one to closely examine the feline microbiome. The study will compare feral, domestic, and shelter cat microbiomes. By examining a wide population the research team can learn about how diet, the environment, and age can affect the feline microbiome.

The research is funded by crowdfunding as according to Ganz, "The money for studying companion animals is devoted to pressing things, like cancer." The project has already reached their minimum funding goal. Anyone interested in funding the study or having their cat participate may do so here.

In exchange for a feline fecal sample people will receive information about what is found in that sample and what that means to them. Ganz said, "We want to make it interesting to people." For people that are interested but do not have a cat they may sponsor a wild or shelter cat.

Ganz said, "We're committed to studying the cat microbiome for the next 10 years. And we can all have a little bit of fun with it."

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Purina Produces Infographic to Reduce Canine Obesity

According to Purina, approximately 95% of people with overweight dogs believe their dog is maintaining a healthy body condition. Purina has released an infographic to help owners prevent excessive weight gain in their pets.

Pet Food Industry offers some statistics regarding pet obesity:

• In 2014, 43.8 million dogs were overweight
• 42 percent of owners said they didn’t know what a “healthy weight” was for their pet
• Dog owners can end up feeding about 37-80% more food than their dog needs

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Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Introduces a Weight Loss Calendar

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. (Hill’s) has introduced a new weight loss calendar to help owners decrease their pet’s weight. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention approximately 53% of American dogs and 58% of American cats are overweight (2014 Obesity Facts and Risks).

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention provides a list of health concerns that affect overweight cats and dogs:

• Osteoarthritis
• Insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart and respiratory disease
• Cranial cruciate ligament injury
• Kidney disease
• Cancer
• Decreased life expectancy

The calendar provided by Hill's is designed to help pet owners keep track of their pet’s weight and energy levels. The calendar can be found here. Hill’s also provides Tips and Tools for pet weight loss. The website includes helpful information regarding exercise, body condition scoring, pet food calorie comparison graphs, and more.