The objective of this study was to determine the effects of restricting the intake of weight control diets on weight loss, body composition, voluntary physical activity, serum markers of metabolism and inflammation, and fecal metabolites and microbiota of obese cats. Obese cats were allotted to 1 of 2 weight control diets (DRY or CAN) and fed at a rate to lose 1.5% BW per week for 18 wk. Body weight, body composition, and voluntary physical activity were measured, while fecal and blood samples were collected over time. Restricted feeding led to weight and fat mass loss, lower leptin and insulin concentrations, and greater ghrelin concentrations. Cats fed CAN tended to have a greater reduction in leptin concentrations than cats fed DRY. Dietary intervention affected change from baseline relative abundances of 3 fecal bacterial phyla and over 30 fecal bacterial genera. Our data demonstrate that restricted feeding of both weight control diets was an effective means for weight loss in obese adult domestic cats. Some changes were also impacted by diet, highlighting the importance of diet formulation and nutrient composition in weight control diets.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.