Who has never tried to win another person’s affection through their stomach? Showing love through food is a very common occurrence. But not only with people. And also with our furry friends, both dogs and cats. However, according to a new study looking at overfeeding catsThis way of giving love can be counterproductive.
And, contrary to what we might think, eating more does not mean extracting more nutrients from your food. In fact, this study demonstrates exactly that overfeeding cats leads to impaired absorption of nutrients. Also, as if that weren’t enough, the lineup intestinal microbiota of cats.
At the same time, if we want to show love to our cats, it would be much better to give them a cozy home, scratching posts, toys and, of course, food, but in the right quantity. This measurement varies greatly from one cat to another, so it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian. Once we know their ideal diet, it is best to try not to exceed it.
The dangers of overfeeding cats
In this study they took part in a total of 11 adult cats are sterilized.. The experiments were carried out in two stages. In the first, they all took a dose of food calculated for their needs. permanently and for two weeks.
They were then given the exact same food for 18 weeks, but were allowed to eat whatever they wanted. At the same time, measurements and observations were made of data such as your physical activity, body fat or the composition of your stool.
There were some cats that were more voracious than others. But in general, when given the choice, it is logical that they go beyond the recommended doses. As expected, those who did this the most began to gain weight, and their weight, as well as the amount and distribution of fat in the body, changed more than significantly. Interestingly, and contrary to expectations, there was no change in their physical activity.
But even while remaining active, they felt the danger of overfeeding cats. This was noticed when analyzing their feces as they not only defecated more. The excrement also contained more acidic pH.
Both problems indicate that food was passing through their intestines too quickly, so they were not absorbing nutrients properly compared to animals that ate less.
What happens to the gut microbiota?
Gut microbiota is important for any living creature that has it, not just humans.
These are colonies microorganisms that live in the intestines, where they mainly perform two functions. On the one hand, they help digest food. They benefit from it as they use it to perform their metabolic functions. On the other hand, they serve as a protective barrier, fighting other microorganisms, usually pathogenic, that try to colonize the intestines.
It is very important that the populations of microorganisms living in the intestines are various and, above all, with higher proportion of non-pathogenic bacteria. It was observed that after overfeeding cats, these populations changed. This has not yet been studied in depth, but it is possible that the number and proportion of non-pathogenic bacteria is decreasing, potentially causing digestive problems in our pets.
With all this, we must remember that no matter how many cats wild They can eat whatever they want, but they can’t eat the ones we have at home. We must remember that a domestic cat is like that. A cat that must eat at home. It is not recommended to go outside or eat raw food, much less eat as much as you want. Now we know what the consequences may be, it is better to avoid them.
Source: Hiper Textual
