Food intake was recorded daily, and body weight was measured weekly. The cats were equipped with activity monitors on harnesses to measure their voluntary physical activity. Some of the cats were fed only in the morning, while the others were fed the same amount in four smaller meals. Each cat was exposed to both feeding regimens and each for a total of three weeks, with the same diet and amount being offered in either one meal or four meals. The study involved eight healthy-weight, indoor cats under the age of five. 'There was no good research to back up the several-meals-a-day approach that many owners hear, and so we wanted to put some real data behind current feeding recommendations to be sure they were right for cats,' she said. Kate Shoveller, an expert in animal nutrition with U of G's Department of Animal Biosciences. Previous research has examined the effects of meal frequency on cat behaviour, but this study is the first to use a comprehensive approach analyzing effects on appetite-suppressing hormones, physical activity, energy expenditure and use of energy sources, said co-author Prof. 'But these results suggest there are benefits to this approach.' Adronie Verbrugghe, a veterinarian with OVC's Department of Clinical Studies, who specializes in companion animal nutrition. 'These findings may surprise the veterinary community and many cat owners who have been told their animals need several small meals a day,' said study co-author Prof.

The results also suggest cutting back feeding frequency could help reduce the risk of obesity by controlling cats' appetite and potentially making them eat less - an important discovery given that obesity is the most common nutritional problem affecting cats. The research, published in the journal PLOS One, revealed that cats that ate one meal a day were more satisfied, which could result in less food-begging behaviour. Animal nutrition specialists in U of G's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) have found that feeding cats one large meal a day may help control hunger better than feeding them several times a day.

Once a day