Using Environmental and Feeding Enrichment to Facilitate Feline Weight Loss

Clarke, Dana L.; Wrigglesworth, David J.; Holmes, Kimberly; Hackett, Rachel; Michel, Kathryn E.

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00611_1.x

Cited by 32 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…A similar increase in (physical) activity has also been found in other studies, which have investigated the effect of chewable toys on dog-behaviour (Hubrecht, 1993;Wells, 2004). Making the animal actively obtain food from feeding enrichment stimulates physical exercise and increases behavioural variability, which can have beneficial effects on the animal's physical condition; for example, it may prevent obesity (Markowitz, 1982;Clarke et al, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of feeding enrichment toys on the behaviour of kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris)

Schipper

Vinke

Schilder

et al. 2008

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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In general, an animal's inability to perform specific behaviours (for example, due to a lack of suitable stimuli or physical restraint) is often viewed as a cause of reduced welfare of animals kept in captivity. There is increasing evidence that the opportunity to display more species-specific appetitive behaviours is beneficial to captive animals. The present pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding enrichment toys on the behaviour of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) housed under laboratory conditions.The behaviour of eight laboratory dogs (Toy group) was observed in their home cage during three trials (pre-toy, toy interaction and post-toy). During the toy interaction trial, the animals received the 'Kong extreme TM '; a rubber dog toy stuffed with dog treats. The behavioural observations of the Toy group were compared to those of a sham-treated control group without a feeding enrichment toy, which consisted of nine laboratory dogs that were simultaneously observed.This study demonstrated that the presence of these food enrichment toys stimulates appetitive behaviours and increases the level of activity (exercise), measured in terms of time budgets and the total number of behavioural transitions. Moreover, it also appears to result into lower barking frequencies.The provision of a relatively simple feeding enrichment toy appears to be a useful tool to stimulate appetitive and more variable behavioural patterns, at least in the short-term, thereby promoting the welfare of (laboratory) dogs housed in kennels. The method of feeding enrichment used in this study may also be useful for dogs in other facilities which lack sufficient stimuli, such as animal shelters. Future studies should include a larger sample, more control groups and additional observation methods to detect, for example, low-frequency behaviours. Furthermore, they should also focus on individual food preferences (long-term) habituation effects and the provision of feeding enrichments under social housing conditions. #

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of feeding enrichment toys on the behaviour of kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris)

Schipper

Vinke

Schilder

et al. 2008

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…In one study, three 10-15 min exercise sessions per day caused a loss of approximately 1% of body weight in 1 month with no food intake restrictions. 51…”

Section: Adult and Maturementioning

confidence: 99%

AAFP–AAHA: Feline Life Stage Guidelines

Vogt¹,

Rodan²,

Brown³

et al. 2010

Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association

123

121

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Background and Goals Cats have become the most popular pet in the United States, yet statistics about veterinary care for cats remain troubling. 1 Although most owners consider their cats to be family members, cats are substantially underserved, compared with dogs. In 2006, owners took their dogs to veterinarians more than twice as often as cats, averaging 2.3 times/year, compared with 1.1 times/year for cats, and significantly more dogs (58%) than cats (28%) were seen by a veterinarian one or more times/year. 2 Cat owners often express a belief that cats 'do not need medical care'. Two reasons for this misconception are that signs of illness are often difficult to detect, and cats are perceived to be self-sufficient. 2 One role of the veterinarian is to develop a partnership with cat owners that will pave the way for a lifelong health care plan. These guidelines aim to outline an evidence-based life stage wellness program to aid the veterinary medical team in delivering the best comprehensive care for cats. Specific goals are to provide:

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“…minute play sessions daily can lead to a loss of approximately 1% of body weight in 1 month with no food intake restrictions 18. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%