Pet cats can serve as valuable models for studying the origins and treatment of obesity in humans, as suggested by a recent study on feline gut microbes. Scientists believe that both cats and humans would benefit from improved health through this research process.
Veterinary researchers examined fecal samples from overweight cats as they underwent four dietary changes, including a strict calorie reduction, to lose and maintain weight. The team discovered that alterations in the cats’ gut microbiome due to dietary changes shared striking similarities with effects seen in human gut microbiomes.
While there is still much to uncover, these findings position pet cats as a key species to study gut bacteria that could shed light on potential treatments for obesity based on microbiome research.
Lead study author Jenessa Winston, an assistant professor at The Ohio State University, highlighted the similarities in gut bacteria changes between cats and humans, emphasizing the potential for microbiome-directed therapies to combat obesity.
Approximately 60% of cats in developed countries are either obese or overweight, mirroring the high prevalence of obesity in the US adult population, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At Ohio State, Winston is overseeing clinical trials exploring the use of fecal transplants from lean dogs and cats to aid overweight pets in losing weight, leveraging the therapeutic abilities of microbes to target disease states.
In their study, researchers subjected seven obese cats to a four-phase diet over 16 weeks, observing changes in short-chain fatty acid metabolites in fecal samples. These fatty acids play a role in gut microbe communication and can influence processes related to inflammation and insulin resistance.
The research highlighted an increase in propionic acid, a short-chain fatty acid associated with regulating appetite, reducing fat accumulation, and protecting against obesity and diabetes, during the weight-loss phase of the calorie-restricted diet. The presence of the bacterium Prevotella 9 copri also increased, a microbe linked to weight loss and improved blood sugar control in humans.
Winston emphasized that caloric restriction in obese cats altered their microbial ecosystem, leading to community shifts that likely impacted metabolic outcomes.
Although the precise role of the gut microbiome in mammal obesity remains unclear, decades of evidence suggest that these organisms and their byproducts contribute to the complexity of this disease. The findings from feline studies suggest that analyzing the gut profile of pet cats could yield valuable insights for both felines and humans.
The weight-loss diet used in the study was provided by Nestle Purina, which also funded the project. Some authors, including Winston, are paid speakers for Nestle Purina.
Co-authors of the study include researchers from various institutions such as North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Florida.
