Abstract
There are numerous reports about seasonal cycles on food intake in animals but information is limited in dogs and cats. A 4-year prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted to assess differences in food intake in 38 ad-libitum-fed adult colony cats, of various breeds, ages and genders. Individual food intake was recorded on a daily basis, and the mean daily intake for each calendar month was calculated. These data were compared with climatic data (temperature and daylight length) for the region in the South of France where the study was performed. Data were analysed using both conventional statistical methods and by modelling using artificial neural networks (ANN). Irrespective of year, an effect of month was evident on food intake (P<0.001), with three periods of broadly differing intake. Food intake was least in the summer months (e.g. June, to August), and greatest during the months of late autumn and winter (e.g. October to February), with intermediate intake in the spring (e.g. March to May) and early autumn (e.g. September). A seasonal effect on bodyweight was not recorded. Periods of peak and trough food intake coincided with peaks and troughs in both temperature and daylight length. In conclusion, average food intake in summer is approximately 15% less than food intake during the winter months, and is likely to be due to the effects of outside temperatures and differences in daylight length. This seasonal effect in food intake should be properly considered when estimating daily maintenance energy requirements in cats.
Highlights
In many mammalian species, the activity of physiological processes can vary throughout the year and, not uncommonly, alters with season
The results of the current study have demonstrated that the voluntary intake of domestic cats, fed ad libitum, follows a cyclical pattern, being greatest in late autumn to winter, and least in summer
The fact that these changes did not lead to significant changes in body weight suggest that they occurred in response to changes in energy needs, for instance due to changes in energy for thermoregulation or activity
Summary
The activity of physiological processes can vary throughout the year and, not uncommonly, alters with season. Physiological changes unrelated to reproduction occur including altered weight, body condition score (BCS), and feeding behaviour [3]. In this respect, activity and nonforaging behaviours are less pronounced in winter months, most likely so as to conserve energy. In honey badgers, foraging yield declines and dietary diversity increases in winter months [4] whilst, in arctic foxes, food intake declines during winter because of reduced food availability [5], [6] The latter pattern of food intake is most likely to be directly due to the decreased food abundance rather than being driven by underlying physiological needs
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