Diurnal feeding and drinking patterns of adult cats as affected by changes in the level of fat in the diet.

A continuous on-line computerized monitoring system was used to measure food and water intake patterns of mature cats during consecutive low-fat (3 week) or high-fat (3 week) feeding. Cats consumed less of the high-fat than the low-fat diet such that their mean daily gross energy intake was the same for both diets. It was concluded that cats regulate their daily food intake on the basis of energy density. High-fat substitution caused a reduction in the quantity of food consumed in the dark cycle. There was no apparent change in either the light- or dark-cycle meal frequency, both the light- and dark-cycle average meal size were curtailed. Water intake did not vary significantly between low- and high-fat diets. There was no significant difference in number of drinking bouts or average bout volume for the low- and high-fat diets in both the light and dark cycles. Two diet-choice trials produced no clear preference for the low- or high-fat diet. It appears that the fat content, independent of flavor components or physical consistency, has little effect on dietary preference of the cat.