The Diets of Companion Cats in Aotearoa New Zealand: Identification of Obesity Risk Factors

Abstract

One in four New Zealand cats are overweight or obese, conditions associated with poor health outcomes. As part of an online survey that was conducted from January 2019 to March 2019, NZ residents aged ≥18 years were asked demographic questions along with questions related to the body condition, breed and diet of their cat/s. From the responses, possible owner-related risk factors for developing obesity were identified. Of the respondents, 65.5% (n = 1537) owned cat/s; the owners being more likely to be female, live rurally, or live with children. Most of the respondents fed their cat/s biscuits from the supermarket (63%) and wet food (57%). Almost half (45%) fed their cat/s specialised food from a pet shop or veterinary clinic and gave them treats, with 31% of respondents feeding their cat/s raw meat. Feeding cats a variety of food types may make it difficult to estimate the appropriate amount of each needed to avoid excess caloric intake. In addition, approximately 30% of the respondents did not agree with the correct body condition statement, revealing a need for owner education. These findings highlight important areas of cat nutrition requiring future research to better inform the development of healthy weight interventions for NZ cats.

Potential Owner-Related Risk Factors That May Contribute to Obesity in Companion Dogs in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…Our study aimed to interrogate the applicable data from national surveys performed recently and funded by NZCAT [23] to identify potential human-specific risk factors that contribute to companion dogs in NZ becoming overweight or obese. Based on the same survey data, potential owner-related risk factors for cat obesity have recently been reported [25]. However, caution must be used when generalising our findings to the broader population as the collective respondents' demographics were not representative of the national population, with females being overrepresented (93.6% versus 51% in the general population) and Māori being underrepresented (9.4% versus 16.5%) [31].…”

“…The approach used for the data analyses is described in detail in Forrest et al [23,25]. In summary, a general inductive approach was used to analyse the qualitative collected data from the diet-specific questions [26].…”

“…The authors developed the survey (the EIT Pet Survey 2019) in consultation with topic experts and local Māori representatives and made it available online to New Zealanders via Survey Monkey© for three months in 2019 between 8 January to 31 March [23,25]. The survey was promoted through various social media (for example, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and via email using a snowballing approach.…”

Association between Socio-Demographic Factors and Owners’ Beliefs and Attitudes to Pet Cats Fundamental Dietary and Physical Exercise Needs, in City of Belfast

“…Furthermore, Kienzle et al (2006) have shown that pet cat owners were less aware of the overweight problem of their pets than dog owners [ 34 ]. A recent study by Forrest et al (2021) recognised incorrect owner perception of body condition as a potential risk factor for cats becoming overweight or obese [ 35 ]. Therefore, the investigations of the body conditions of animals in a clinical setting to assess incidences of pet cat obesity in any local population are warranted.…”

Comparative Analyses of the Gut Microbiota in Growing Ragdoll Cats and Felinae Cats

“…As a species of small Carnivora mammals, the domestic cat ( Felis catus ) emerged during the Miocene, about 10–11 million years ago [ 1 ]. During the long-term evolutionary process, the morphological and genetic portraits of domestic cats changed significantly from their wild ancestors [ 2 ].…”