Villaverde, C.
2013
Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit: Tackling Myths about Pet Nutrition

It has been proposed that higher protein diets more similar to the cat’s “natural diet” may be beneficial in preventing and treating obesity. Research in humans suggests that high-protein diets can help in weight management due to their effects on satiety, energy expenditure and lean body mass. Data in cats support that high-protein diets have positive effects in feline weight loss plans and in prevention of weight regain. However, there currently is no evidence that high-protein diets fed ad libitum can be helpful in preventing weight gain either by decreasing voluntary energy intake or by increasing energy expenditure.