House cats generally maintain the ability to regulate their energy intake

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The statement to evaluate is: 'House cats generally maintain the ability to regulate their energy intake.'

First, let's consider what is meant by energy intake regulation in cats. In theory, an animal would adjust its food intake to match its energy needs, maintaining energy balance. However, in practice, many domestic cats do not reliably regulate their intake, especially under common husbandry conditions.

Option evaluation:
- Claim that house cats generally maintain energy intake regulation: This is an overgeneralization. While some individual cats may be good at self-regulation, the broader population of house cats shows frequent instances of overeating or undereating, particularly when food is provided ad libitum (free access) or when palatability and meal patterns override physiological cues. This undermines the idea of consistent regulatory control across the typical pet cat population.

- Contributing factors to imperfect regulation include: free-feeding leading to excess caloric intake, environmental cues such as readily available tasty foods, lack of structured feeding schedules, obesity prevalence in domestic cats, and variations in activity levels that can make energy needs unpredictable. These factors collectively reduce the general reliability of energy intake regulation.

- Contrast with a hypothetical statement that cats perfectly regulate intake: If that were true, we would expect low obesity rates and stable body weights across diverse feeding practices, which is not observed in many real-world settings.

Why this makes the original statement incorrect: the evidence from veterinary and feline nutrition literature indicates that energy intake regulation in home environments is often poor, and obesity is a common health issue in house cats. Therefore, saying that house cats generally maintain the ability to regulate their energy intake misrepresents typical outcomes in domestic feline populations.

In summary, the assertion is not supported as a general rule for house cats, given the prevalence of overconsumption under free-feeding and the various external factors that disrupt precise energy regulation. Obesity and energy balance problems are well-documented in pet cats, illustrating why the statement is considered false.

ANSC 1403 (001) Exam 3

House cats generally maintain the ability to regulate their energy intake

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following correctly pairs the hormone or signal with its function?

Which of the following correctly pairs the hormone or signal with its function?

Which of the following results in reduced satiety and over-consumption of nutrients?

Which hormone stimulates appetite and intake of high-fat and energy-dense foods?

Application-Level Multiple-Choice Items The major role that the hormone ghrelin plays in eating is to:

Which of the following does not increase satiety or suppress hunger?

Leptin is a hormone produced by the body to stimulate the appetite and encourage eating.

As a long-term signal of satiety, which hormone is produced by adipose (fat) tissue to suppress appetite over time?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler

ANSC 1403 (001) Exam 3

House cats generally maintain the ability to regulate their energy intake

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following correctly pairs the hormone or signal with its function?

Which of the following correctly pairs the hormone or signal with its function?

Which of the following results in reduced satiety and over-consumption of nutrients?

Which hormone stimulates appetite and intake of high-fat and energy-dense foods?

​Application-Level Multiple-Choice Items The major role that the hormone ghrelin plays in eating is to:​

Which of the following does not increase satiety or suppress hunger?

​Leptin is a hormone produced by the body to stimulate the appetite and encourage eating.

As a long-term signal of satiety, which hormone is produced by adipose (fat) tissue to suppress appetite over time?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Making Your Study Simpler

Application-Level Multiple-Choice Items The major role that the hormone ghrelin plays in eating is to:

Leptin is a hormone produced by the body to stimulate the appetite and encourage eating.