title: Absence of a salt (NaCl) preference or appetite in sodium-replete or depleted kittens.
abstract: Many omnivores and herbivores exhibit an appetite for sodium or salt (NaCl) solutions, but a similar sodium appetite has not been demonstrated in carnivores. The choice for or against sodium-adequate diets of sodium-replete and depleted kittens (confirmed by an elevated plasma aldosterone concentration) was examined using a two-bowl choice test. Both bowls contained purified diets, one bowl with one of various levels of sodium (as NaCl) and the other bowl a sodium-deficient diet (0.1 g Na/Kg). Neither sodium-replete nor depleted kittens showed a choice of the diet containing 2 g Na/kg over the deficient diet. Both groups of kittens showed significant aversion to a diet containing 10 g Na/kg diet, with no change in total food intake. Kittens previously exposed to a diet containing 10 g Na/kg diet appeared to have a learned aversion to sodium in subsequent choice tests. We conclude that kittens do not possess an innate sodium appetite and that a sodium appetite is not induced in sodium-depleted kittens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Q R
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012964:Sodium / Q000172:deficiency*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D012964:Sodium