We tend to imagine cats as sensitive animals, their sight impressive, their hearing incredibly sharp. But, well, taste? Not really. While many of us are looking forward to desserts, we rarely think of our cats as having a sweet tooth. For the most part, cats do not enjoy sweets; it is rather as if our cat did not know what sweets were. Cats seem to miss one thing in the basic abilities of culinary possessions: the detection of sweetness.
There are approximately 9,000 taste buds on the human tongue. We have an overall tremendous diversity of flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami or savory. By contrast, cats possess just about 470 taste buds, severely restricting their sense of taste. Of course, they can distinguish sour, salty, and umami flavors, but there are no functional sweet taste buds; therefore, cats cannot perceive sweetness at all.
Cats are obligate carnivores-their diet, domestic or feral, is based naturally on meat. There is no biological need to consume carbohydrates or sweet foods. The sense of taste of a cat has been moulded by evolution to adapt to flavors vital for its survival: namely, those found in animal proteins. It's not that cats can't taste sweet; the absence of this sensitivity is an adaptation to their meat diet.
Some even go to the extent of stating that cats are fonder of sweet things such as ice cream or pudding. It is the reason that may seem to attach a cat to a piece of ice cream, that the piece of ice cream is not necessarily sweet but due to the fat content in it. Cats are very sensitive to fats, since they are one of their main sources of energy. Therefore, when your kitty shows an interest in a sweet snack, it's much more likely to be responding to the creamy, fatty texture than to the sweetness.
Another interesting thing is that cats appear to like their food at certain temperatures. Cats usually enjoy warmer fare, warmed up to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This may be in accordance with the instinct that explains why your cat turns its nose up at food taken right out of the refrigerator. That is because cold food just doesn't appeal to their finely-tuned instincts.
While your cat can't taste the sweetness of flavors, you may be sure all its other senses are perfectly well adapted to a life mainly dedicated to hunting and murdering other creatures for food. From detecting the rich, fatty content of foods to seeking out meals served at just the right temperature, cats have a quite specific and interesting relationship with their food.
Reference Links:
Do Cats Have a Sense of Taste?
Cats and Taste: What You Need to Know
So the next time your cat turns its nose up at sugary treats, don't be surprised. Your feline friend has its own unique tastes-and they don't include sweets!
