Impact of dietary fibre on the feline gut microbiome and host physiology
In Australia, domestic cats are important companions, but they increasingly suffer from diseases related to diet and inflammation. While cats are carnivores and were believed to have no dietary need for fibre, recent studies suggest that fibre fermentation does occur in their hindgut. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of fibre on the feline microbiome compared to studies in humans and mice, which have shown beneficial effects on gut and overall health. We aimed to assess the impact of a commercial dietary fibre, Chica Health and Vitality, on the gut microbiome and host physiology of privately-owned domestic pet cats. Ten cats were enrolled, and faecal samples and body weight measurements were collected across consecutive 2-week periods including baseline (normal diet, before Chica administration), during administration (normal diet + Chica), and after discontinuation of Chica. Chica had no significant impact on body weight and faecal consistency. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that a subset of cats experienced shifts in microbial diversity and in known fibre-degrading bacteria such as Roseburia, Bacteroides, Megasphaera and Bifidobacteriaceae. However, the precise nature of these changes varied between individuals and appeared to be influenced by baseline microbiome composition.