Impact of time-limited feeding and dietary carbohydrate content on weight loss in group-housed cats

Abstract

Twenty-four adult cats were transitioned to time-limited feeding and randomized to either a dry low carbohydrate diet (LC) or a dry reduced energy diet (HC). In Trial 1 the LC and HC groups received equal amounts of food (by weight) for 13 weeks. Both groups consumed all food offered, hence the LC group received more energy/day than the HC group. In Trial 2 all cats were fed the LC diet for 12 weeks, but each group received the energy that the opposite group had received in Trial 1. In Trial 1 only the overweight HC cats (body condition score>6/9) experienced a significant change in body weight (−0.52±0.08 kg). In Trial 2, LC/Low Calorie overweight cats lost 0.62±0.10 kg, whereas, the LC/High Calorie normal weight cats gained 0.68±0.05 kg. In conclusion, body condition and energy intake but not type of diet influenced weight in this cohort of group-housed cats.