Cats lack a sweet tooth (2024)

FAQs

Cats lack a sweet tooth? ›

Researchers have discovered that cats, seemingly alone among the mammal groups, lack some of the proteins needed to create the gene that helps the body taste sweets. The taste bud in humans that's designated to identify “sweet” tastes is normally made up of two separate proteins, and cats only have one of these.

Cats only have 470 taste buds. Compare this to 1,700 in dogs, and 9,000 in humans. Of those limited taste receptors in feline mouths, none are programmed to taste sweetness. So, no, your cat doesn't have a sweet tooth, even if they perk up when you unwrap a sweet treat for yourself.

Cats don't seek out sugar because they can't taste it

Now scientists have figured out why: Cats lack a taste receptor protein that's essential for sensing sweet stuff. Cats couldn't care less about confections. When given the choice between plain water and a sugar solution, they slurp similar amounts of both.

Scientists do know feline taste buds are far less complex than our own, and that's likely rooted in evolution. According to Scientific American, cats are the only mammals that lack taste receptors for sweetness.

Cats can be sensitive creatures and may react negatively to things that we don't even realize happened, changing their behaviors due to stress or anxiety. Health issues of all sorts, as well as pain, can also cause changes in behavior, including your cat's affection levels.

Cats have only 480 taste buds, and they only have taste receptors for salty, sour, and bitter. Like dogs, cats have a strong sense of smell and dislike anything that tastes bitter.

Although many cats love the taste of this salty and sweet spread, cat parents should avoid giving their feline friends peanut butter. It provides no nutritional value and, more importantly, certain ingredients, like fat and added artificial sweeteners, can be harmful or even toxic to cats.

Felines can't taste sweet things, so it's unlikely they will crave these sugary treats. However, they can be motivated by texture, and marshmallows do have an interesting one. So, if you notice your cat sniffing around your marshmallows, make sure to store them in packaging your cat can't access.

Remember that each cat is different, and some won't like the flavour or smell of watermelon, whereas others will! If your cat turns their nose up at the watermelon you offer them, don't force it, they're just telling you that this fruit isn't for them.

To keep your cat healthy, don't feed them sugary foods. Although sugar isn't toxic to cats, it brings zero nutritional value, can cause obesity and lead to dental disease and diabetes, just like it does in humans.

Why can cats talk? ›

Although videos which seemingly show cats speaking in human language are frequently shared on the internet, differences in cats' vocal tract prevent them from vocalising human language exactly. Instead, animal behaviour experts explain they are modifying the "meow" vocalisation to mimic certain human words.

It is scientifically accepted that cats do not experience sweetness the way humans and dogs do because they lack an important taste receptor gene that enables the brain to recognize sweet tastes.

She may chirp or let out a happy “mew” as she heads to the bowl. The cat's ears are forward or relaxed but not pinned back or in “airplane wing” position. There is no hesitation to eat. She may sniff for a second or two and then indulge in her meal.

Indeed, umami appears to be the primary flavor cats seek out. That's no surprise for an obligate carnivore. But the team also found these cat receptors are uniquely tuned to molecules found at high concentrations in tuna, revealing why our feline friends seem to prefer this delicacy over all others.

Why do cats like milk? Cats love the taste of milk because it is high in fat. They will often choose to drink it even if it results in an upset stomach. If your cat is fed a high quality, balanced diet they do not need the extra fat from drinking milk, no matter how much they like it.

While humans, monkeys, dogs and other animals definitely prefer sweet flavors, decades of research show that cats could care less about sweets. But why? As it turns out, a cat's sweet receptor genes are broken.

So far, cats are alone among mammals in lacking the sweet gene; even close relatives among the meat-eaters like hyenas and mongooses have it.

Dogs are carnivores but can also be thought of as omnivores, they obtain nutrition from their preferred meat sources as well as from small amounts of vegetation/fruits. They can detect many of the same flavors as humans – including sweets.