Winter Pet Feeding – More or Less Food?

Dogs-under-blanket

Winter Pet Feeding – Should you feed your pet more?

Do you continue to feed your pet in the same way throughout the year? The amount of food that your pet should eat can actually vary according to seasonal changes. Here’s how to decide whether you should be looking to adjust your pet’s feeding patterns over the winter.

How cold weather affects your pet

In a study by the University of Liverpool, researchers discovered that cats have a natural tendency to eat more during the winter. The study found that cats eat 15% less during the summer.  Veterinarian and study author, Dr Alex German, said: “Cats, like many humans are more inclined to comfort eat when it’s cold outside but, in their case, it’s likely to be due to the extra energy they need to keep warm when out and about.

Many cats will also get less exercise in winter due to the cold weather and a greater reluctance for being outside. If they continue to maintain their normal food intake, this means that fewer calories will be burnt off. Weight gain then becomes a strong possibility. If your cat is spending little or no time outdoors over the winter, you should look to reduce their food intake in line with this.

Dogs tend to be less affected by the change in temperature as long as they are still taken on walks. If their owner is less inclined to maintain their normal schedule for walks, the potential for gaining weight is much the same as for cats if they are still being fed the same amount of food as before. On the other hand, pets that are outdoors during cold weather will benefit from having more food than normal. This is because the very act of keeping warm (through shivering) uses energy and burns calories. Extra calories are recommended in this scenario to compensate for those that will be lost.

Light Considerations

The reduced amount of daylight during the winter months has a similar effect. With less time available for exercise, fewer calories are burnt compared to the summer months. Metabolism can also be affected by the longer nights, especially for dogs. Their brain can be fooled into triggering hormone changes that slow down their metabolism and make it harder to burn calories. This happens in preparation for a harsh winter in which dogs would need to conserve their energy and build fat reserves to see them through the worst of the conditions. However, it can occur regardless of whether a dog is living indoors or outdoors. For those that are predominantly based indoors, this can cause issues during the winter. Because they are not actually exposed to the harsh conditions for which this genetic adaptation has evolved to compensate for, their reduced metabolism will result in weight gain if their food intake is not decreased during this period.

Do you alter your pet’s feeding patterns during the winter? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!