Overview
- Iwate University’s team, which unveiled peer-reviewed results Wednesday, found that repeating a food’s smell makes cats quit sooner.
- The study observed 12 healthy mixed-breed cats, ages 3 to 15, after a 16-hour fast with six 10-minute meals split by 10-minute rests.
- When the same food returned each round, the amount eaten shrank over time and many cats left food in the dish.
- A switch in aroma brought eating back, even when the actual food stayed the same for the next round.
- Researchers see uses for clinics and homes to coax appetite in sick or older cats, and the paper points pet-food makers to vary scents.