Review scope

This summary is based on the published abstract. We have not appraised the full methods, tables or supplementary material. Details absent from the abstract remain unverified.

Question and design

12 cats in separate digestibility and hairball experiments. Miscanthus-containing foods. Comparator: Cellulose or beet-pulp foods in the digestibility trial; control food in the hairball trial.

What was measured?

Digestibility, stool quality and hair recovered in faeces.

Main findings

Beet pulp increased several digestibility measures but lowered protein digestibility. Most hairball measures were unchanged; some hair measurements per gram of dry faeces were lower with Miscanthus.

Study strengths

Controlled feeding with faecal collection and within-cat comparisons.

Limitations

Short experiments; dietary fibre composition differed. Faecal hair measurements do not directly demonstrate fewer vomited hairballs.

Researchers’ conclusion

The authors considered Miscanthus a potential alternative to cellulose.

Evidence.pet interpretation

An ingredient can change stool characteristics without proving a clinically useful hairball benefit.

Funding and conflicts

Not verified from the abstract; full declarations have not been reviewed.

Source and review date

Donadelli RA, Aldrich CG. The effects of diets varying in fibre sources on nutrient utilization, stool quality and hairball management in cats. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 2020. DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13289.

Read the primary source · DOI record

STU-039. Reviewed 25 September 2026. Next review 25 December 2026.