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Feline obesity is a grow job , with about 60 % ofcatsin the United States classified as being overweight or weighty , according to the2022 State of U.S. Pet Obesity Report .
And , just like in human being , tamp down on additional pound can often lead to a server of dissimilar health problem in cat , including changes to their digestive system , case 2 diabetesandchronic inflammation , according to a study published Sept. 29 in theJournal of Animal Science .
Roughly 60% of cats in the United States are overweight or obese.
" It is a huge job , " study atomic number 27 - authorKelly Swanson , a professor of human nutrition and the interim theatre director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign , told Live Science in an email . " Similar to other species , feline corpulency is colligate with numerous health problems . If we can avoid obesity , many other health result may be prevented or delayed . "
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To find out what happens when our feline protagonist habitually overindulge , scientist corralled 11 adult spayed distaff cats and allow them gobble up as much standard dry cat solid food as they require , according to astatement . The sketch also included several cats that were feast a curb dieting to compare the gist of their food intake .
The overeating cats ' average eubstance shape grievance ( BCS ) — a measurement system similar to dead body mass index ( BMI ) in human beings — was 5.41 on a 9 - point scale at the outset of the work , but after 18 weeks of overindulging , that telephone number shot up to 8.27 , which corresponded to being 30 % corpulence , according to the study .
As the felines fee the scales , researchers observed not only a rush inpoopproduction but also a ascent in gastrointestinal transportation time , which is the amount of time between eating and gut movements . ( To measure this , cat were give a burnished - green , non - digestible dye that turned their poop green . )
" That led to a cut amount of meter for the soundbox to brook the food consumed , resulting in a reduce digestive efficiency ( nutrient digestibleness ) , " Swanson enounce . " That also affected the fecal microbiota of the cats , in all probability due to the boil down digestion ( more nutrients come about through ) . "
Because the cats were not getting all of their proper nutrient , the researcher noticed " important changes " in the gut microbial paper in the fatty computed tomography . For instance , they recorded an increase inBifidobacterium , bacteriathat inhibit pathogens and stimulate theimmune system , and a drop-off inCollinsella , bacterium that soften down character and can protect against inflammatory diseases , according to the statement .
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Interestingly , this is the reverse of what happens in fleshy humans . However , more research is needed to understand why .
The cats ' poop also became more acidic due to a drop-off in faecal pH scale , indicating poor absorption ofcarbohydratesand fat — which is related to " high solid food intake and decreased digestibility , " according to the statement .
Swanson said that because the field was relatively short and endure only 18 workweek , none of the cat developed any long - term wellness status , and that once the field of study commenced , research worker " placed [ them ] on a weight unit - release subject field so they are all back at a healthy body weight again . "
