Cats do eat more in winter

Know why your kitten asks for more food as the mercury drops and chill settles in? They too, like humans, need comfort food in the winter.

Cats eat more during the winter and owners should give their pet more food during this time, research has found.

"Cats, like many humans are more inclined to comfort eat when it is cold outside but, in their case, it is likely to be owing to extra energy they need to keep warm when out and about," said veterinarian Alex German from University of Liverpool's school of veterinary science.

German, in collaboration with colleagues at Royal Canin Research Centre in France, spent four years monitoring how much cats chose to eat.

They found that food intake increased in colder months and decreased during the summer.

During the study, the researchers put microchip on the collar of 38 cats that allowed them to take as much food as they wanted from a dispenser which only opened for them.

At the same time, this microchip recorded how much the cat had eaten and when.

The study found that cats ate approximately 15 percent less food during summer.

"People should consider the amount of food their cats need at different times of year as this can be part of helping them to maintain a healthy weight," German suggested.