Balancing macronutrient intake in a mammalian carnivore: disentangling the influences of flavour and nutrition

Abstract

There is a large body of research demonstrating that macronutrient balancing is a primary driver of foraging in herbivores and omnivores, and more recently, it has been shown to occur in carnivores. However, the extent to which macronutrient selection in carnivores may be influenced by organoleptic properties (e.g. flavour/aroma) remains unknown. Here, we explore the roles of nutritional and hedonic factors in food choice and macronutrient balancing in a mammalian carnivore, the domestic cat. Using the geometric framework, we determined the amounts and ratio of protein and fat intake in cats allowed to select from combinations of three foods that varied in protein : fat (P : F) composition (approx. 10 : 90, 40 : 60 and 70 : 30 on a per cent energy basis) to which flavours of different 'attractiveness' (fish, rabbit and orange) were added. In two studies, in which animal and plant protein sources were used, respectively, the ratio and amounts of protein and fat intake were very consistent across all groups regardless of flavour combination, indicating regulation of both protein and fat intake. Our results suggest that macronutrient balancing rather than hedonistic rewards based on organoleptic properties of food is a primary driver of longer-term food selection and intake in domestic cats.

Keywords: carnivore; cats; food selection; geometric framework; hedonic; macronutrient.

Figure 1.

Mean intake (±s.e.m.) of each food (with fish, rabbit, orange or no flavour (none) added) offered individually to 24 cats in 2 × 20 min intake tests in a randomized order over 24 days (experiment 1).

Figure 2.

(a) Mean daily intake (with 95% CIs) of each the three foods offered simultaneously to three groups of cats in the self-selection phase of experiment 2. (b) Geometric representation of protein and fat intake regulation by cats in all three groups. Mean daily protein and fat intake (with 95% CI) is plotted for each group of cats as a result of the amounts of each food consumed above. The black lines (nutrient rails) represent the P : F balance of each of the foods provided.

Figure 3.

Mean daily intake (with 95% CI) of each of the three foods offered simultaneously to three groups of cats in the naive (a) and experienced (b) self-selection phases of experiment 3.

Figure 4.

Mean daily protein and fat intake (with 95% CI) for each group of cats during the NSS and ESS of experiment 3. The black lines (nutrient rails) represent the protein : fat balance of each of the foods provided. *Protein intake was significantly different between groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.037).