Study on food preference behavior among kittens

Abstract

This study analyzed the food preference of 18 domestic kittens (Fe/is silvestris catus) between two types of food based on their behavior. The aimed of the study is to determine the effect of type of food on the behavior pattern of the kittens. Two groups of domestic kittens were formed and offered two different types of food items differing in preparation of the food (commercial food or barf food, CF and BF, respectively) at the same timing every day. Based on the proximate food test, the commercial food contains higher fat, 5% but low protein I 0% compare to the barf food. Man Whitney U-test analysis behavior during the meal showed that there were no difference in food preference behavior for both type of food, CF and BF with the value of p>0.05. Same analysis that had been done for behavior before and after meal also showed same result, no significance (p> 0.05) and the behavior of the kittens was not influenced by the type of food. Even though there were no differences in food preference behavior between those two types of food, the feed conversion ratio of the kittens that served with commercial food were much higher with range of 9.75 ± 17.38 and showed a lot of increasing value compare to those kittens that ate barf food that only range between 6.09 ± 16.52. T-test analysis also proved that the type of food did not influence the value of feed conversion ratio.