Diet Formats, Feeding Practices, and Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight, Underweight, and Ideal Body Condition in Household Cats

This exploratory cross-sectional study analyzed owner-reported survey data from 5653 cats belonging to current and prospective customers of a UK fresh cat food company to identify factors associated with body condition in companion cats and to compare owner classifications made using a structured body condition score (BCS) tool with those made by unguided judgment. Owners classified fewer cats as ideal using the structured BCS tool than by unguided judgment, with lower agreement for underweight than for overweight cats. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed for overweight, underweight, and ideal body condition. A higher proportion of fresh food was associated with greater odds of ideal body condition (OR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04–1.42), while dry food was associated with overweight (OR 1.83, 95% CI: 1.33–2.51) and wet food with underweight (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06–2.16), though this association was less robust to differing model specifications. Further associations included certain additional calorie sources, feeding practices, treat type, activity, enrichment, household composition, and established demographic factors. These hypothesis-generating findings highlight a gap between structured and unguided owner assessment and identify associations that merit prospective evaluation in a more generally representative population.