Lauren E. Dodd, Stephen R. Werre, and Megan L. Shepherd have published "Effect of food toys on owner-perceived quality of life of cats during a prescribed weight loss plan" in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

A total of 44 adult cats, 1 to 10 years of age with a body condition score (BCS) ≥ 7/9, were randomly assigned to the food toy or food bowl group. Cat owners completed an initial questionnaire and received a prescribed weight loss plan, bag of dry veterinary therapeutic cat food formulated for weight loss, measuring cup, and food bowl or ball-type food toy. Body weight and BCS were checked monthly. Owners completed a monthly questionnaire to assess their cat’s quality of life (QOL). Low-calorie vegetables were offered to 32 cats whose owners reported disruptive food-seeking behavior.

Learn more about the "fat cats" in this 2019 story from the veterinary college, "Feline weight-loss study."

Dodd earned both a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science from the college and is a former research associate in epidemiology in the Department of Population Health Sciences, Werre is assistant professor of research in the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Shepherd is a former assistant professor of clinical nutrition in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.