Cat with sweet tooth

Graces7

He appears in the kitchen window while we are busy, and licks the mayonnaise off the eggs, not stopping when we pick the plate up, but simply following it with his pink tongue,

Shares cake and toast and marmalade avidly..

Anything sweet and he is there; golden eyes narrowed in sheer bliss as he licks.

Yesterday was his best effort yet. I left a large bowl of instant whip unattended for just two minutes..

When I came back, the bowl was half empty and he was licking his chops in glee.

A gentle giant....

MsFifers

Nice description!

I think I read somewhere that cats don't actually taste sweetness though - it could be the fat in the cakes etc that he likes! Mind his teeth if he is eating a lot of sugar though!

Graces7

MsFifers wrote: »

Nice description!

I think I read somewhere that cats don't actually taste sweetness though - it could be the fat in the cakes etc that he likes! Mind his teeth if he is eating a lot of sugar though!

It is the sugar I think; jam has no fat. Loves jam but not chocolate.

His regular food is raw chicken wings and a little kibble so his teeth stay great thankfully.

paulacork

MsFifers wrote: »

Nice description!

I think I read somewhere that cats don't actually taste sweetness though - it could be the fat in the cakes etc that he likes! Mind his teeth if he is eating a lot of sugar though!

Yep, you're right. Cats can't taste sweet things because their sweet taste receptor is defective. Obviously, different cats have different preferences, but will all turn up their noses as sugary treats that don't contain butter / gelatin.
My three LOVE carrot cake - must be the cream cheese frosting and butter, but they don't get it - no matter how much they love it - but if they smell it - they're do their utmost to get it. Unfortunately with cats, I think it's more of us needing to be on the ball than anything else. I know for a fact that if i leave anything on the counter - they'll be up there the second my back is turned!

Graces7

paulacork wrote: »

Yep, you're right. Cats can't taste sweet things because their sweet taste receptor is defective. Obviously, different cats have different preferences, but will all turn up their noses as sugary treats that don't contain butter / gelatin.
My three LOVE carrot cake - must be the cream cheese frosting and butter, but they don't get it - no matter how much they love it - but if they smell it - they're do their utmost to get it. Unfortunately with cats, I think it's more of us needing to be on the ball than anything else. I know for a fact that if i leave anything on the counter - they'll be up there the second my back is turned!

Jam has neither; and I do not believe that reearch from personal experience with cats.....

Else they would eat fatty things that had no sugar and they rarely do.

Your carrot cake sounds wonderful.

And I grudge this wee man nothing. He is a delight in my old age. To have him lick jam off my fingers...the trust and his pleasure

The instant whip had me a little cross..But sure he left me enough.

MsFifers

One of my cats goes crazy for melons. Whenever I have one, I have to leave her lots of the flesh on the the rind and she licks & licks it till its bare of all the juicy stuff.

The other guy has to lick out the porridge bowl every day after I've poured out my portion - not very hygenic I know!

morganafay

I had a cat that'd eat steamed veggies!

My cat I had when I lived in Dublin hated milk, but would drink soya milk and eat soya yoghurt no problem!

My cats' favourite treat is when I'm finished eating fried potatoes or veggies (I always add loads of olive oil cos it's yummy and healthy) and they finish all the oil afterwards.

I find they love fatty foods better, but some of my cats have liked sweet things too Whether they like the sweetness or something else, I don't know. I know sugar isn't good for them though, so try not to give them anything too sugary.

Lillylilly

We realised quite early on (but not early enough!!) that our fella can't have milk as it gives him diarrhea. Now he's like a scavanger every time it's near him- you can't have a bowl of cereal in peace! He loves mayo, cheese and eggs too! We try to keep him away from all dairy just in case he's intolerant to that too, but he still goes for it. It's like he knows it's bad for him

Orla K

When I was younger I had a cat that LOVED rice cakes, he'd eat them plain most of the time but would eat them if stuff was on them.

The cat I have now is kinda picky, a good thing too, he's very poor digestion nearly everything upsets it. He has to smell everything I hold, just incase he might want it, he got his nose into my salad today so see was there anything he might like in it. Even if it's something like a phone he has to check it first.

Whispered

I have a cat who drank half a glass of baileys then wobbled across the floor. Poor little thing must have been so sick.

Not to mention how my mother must have felt when she realised that the cat had her head in the glass between sips!

sex panther

Thats interesting about cats having no taste for sugar!
My cat loves tea, my house mate cant put his cup of tea down without my litle brats sticking their paws in, and my tom loves mcdonalds chips he'll turn his nose up at other chips but he loves mickey D's.

Graces7

sex panther wrote: »

Thats interesting about cats having no taste for sugar!
My cat loves tea, my house mate cant put his cup of tea down without my litle brats sticking their paws in, and my tom loves mcdonalds chips he'll turn his nose up at other chips but he loves mickey D's.

I do not believe that research or idea frankly; that they cannot taste sweetness. One of those mistaken ideas.

The Sweeper

The major study was conducted by the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia. It's more complicated than 'cats can't taste sugar'. There's an early-in-evolution genetic mutation that means cats lack the physical responders to allow them to taste something sweet - if offered two bowls of water, one which has been sweetened with sugar, they're just as likely to lap from either bowl.

The same genetic mutation exists in big cats - tigers and cheetahs. One hypothesis is that the ability to taste sugar fell by the wayside because cats are obligate carnivores and must eat meat, so they don't need a driver to encourage them to eat sugary starches like ripe fruit, which formed such an essential part of the herbivore and omnivore diet. Hence they got on perfectly well without the taste for sugar and the genetic mutation didn't end up in a dead-end evolutionary move that ended in extinction.

However, cats still have a good sense of smell. While the sugary flavour may not be attracting them, if something smells good they'll still have a go. My cat years ago used to adore strawberry yoghurt.

If your cat loves to lick jam off your fingers, it could like both the smell of the jam and the bonding exercise that is washing you and washing jam off you, hence it appears to love jam. Flatter yourself - it isn't the sweetness of the jam, it's the fact that he likes you!

Also, a cat who suffered bouts of starvation when young will often demonstrate highly opportunistic food behaviour when they grow, including counter surfing, stealing unsuitable food when their owners back is turned, and having at least a good taste of anything they can get their paws on.

Some cats won't touch human food, others can't get enough of it. Just be careful what you're feeding your cat - chocolate is poisonous to cats. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine and they can cause dehydration (diuretic effects), cardiac stimulation and over-stimulation of the central nervous system in a cat. Chocolate poisoning is more common in dogs, because dogs are more likely to scoff a large quantity of chocolate if given the chance, but it's still worth noting that if your cat's made off with half your real hot chocolate drink at night when your back was turned, you may want to keep a close eye on them for signs of vomiting, diarrhoea, frequent peeing or inability to control their peeing, hyperactivity and restlessness, and take them to the vet if they show these symptoms!

morganafay

sex panther wrote: »

Thats interesting about cats having no taste for sugar!
My cat loves tea, my house mate cant put his cup of tea down without my litle brats sticking their paws in, and my tom loves mcdonalds chips he'll turn his nose up at other chips but he loves mickey D's.

I fed McDonald's chips to some feral cats while I was on holiday and they loved them! Though I heard that potato is poisonous to them, I guess it's just not good for them, more than poisonous.

morganafay

Whispered wrote: »

I have a cat who drank half a glass of baileys then wobbled across the floor. Poor little thing must have been so sick.

Not to mention how my mother must have felt when she realised that the cat had her head in the glass between sips!

LOL, I was drinking long island iced teas outside one day, and I had the rabbit out on the grass and I kept spilling drops of my drink on the grass and the rabbit kept eating the grass before I could stop her! She loved it, crazy bunny. (Obviously I didn't let her get a lot of it!)

sambuka41

My guy has the craziest obsession, Pringles!!!! He will eat them out of your hand as you try to eat them!!!! If you eat them in front of him and dont give him any he sounds like your murdering him:p I wonder what it is in them that he's so mad about???

he also loves mayonnaise,he regularly steals chicken from my chicken rolls and spends more time enjoying the mayo than the chicken!!!:D

Graces7

The Sweeper wrote: »

The major study was conducted by the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia. It's more complicated than 'cats can't taste sugar'. There's an early-in-evolution genetic mutation that means cats lack the physical responders to allow them to taste something sweet - if offered two bowls of water, one which has been sweetened with sugar, they're just as likely to lap from either bowl.

The same genetic mutation exists in big cats - tigers and cheetahs. One hypothesis is that the ability to taste sugar fell by the wayside because cats are obligate carnivores and must eat meat, so they don't need a driver to encourage them to eat sugary starches like ripe fruit, which formed such an essential part of the herbivore and omnivore diet. Hence they got on perfectly well without the taste for sugar and the genetic mutation didn't end up in a dead-end evolutionary move that ended in extinction.

However, cats still have a good sense of smell. While the sugary flavour may not be attracting them, if something smells good they'll still have a go. My cat years ago used to adore strawberry yoghurt.

If your cat loves to lick jam off your fingers, it could like both the smell of the jam and the bonding exercise that is washing you and washing jam off you, hence it appears to love jam. Flatter yourself - it isn't the sweetness of the jam, it's the fact that he likes you!

Also, a cat who suffered bouts of starvation when young will often demonstrate highly opportunistic food behaviour when they grow, including counter surfing, stealing unsuitable food when their owners back is turned, and having at least a good taste of anything they can get their paws on.

Some cats won't touch human food, others can't get enough of it. Just be careful what you're feeding your cat - chocolate is poisonous to cats. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine and they can cause dehydration (diuretic effects), cardiac stimulation and over-stimulation of the central nervous system in a cat. Chocolate poisoning is more common in dogs, because dogs are more likely to scoff a large quantity of chocolate if given the chance, but it's still worth noting that if your cat's made off with half your real hot chocolate drink at night when your back was turned, you may want to keep a close eye on them for signs of vomiting, diarrhoea, frequent peeing or inability to control their peeing, hyperactivity and restlessness, and take them to the vet if they show these symptoms!

Is that all the testing they did? I rest my case; not persuaded. Not at all.

And no re my cat and jam; other things he will not lick.. just sweet stuff. Loves sweet things.

Lost a piece of cake last night....

planetX

Years ago I had a cat who laid into a sponge cake that was cooling - waiting to be iced for a birthday! He was also kindly pushing bits over the counter to the dog who was waiting down below. The guilty faces when I walked in were nearly worth it. :mad:
One of my cats now will go mad for a bit of pancake or waffle, she loves cakes too. Other cat isn't interested.

morganafay

I've found with cats that they don't like sweet things. But some do develop very strange tastes! They're such an amusing animal

Rochester

planetX wrote: »

Years ago I had a cat who laid into a sponge cake that was cooling - waiting to be iced for a birthday! He was also kindly pushing bits over the counter to the dog who was waiting down below. The guilty faces when I walked in were nearly worth it. :mad:
One of my cats now will go mad for a bit of pancake or waffle, she loves cakes too. Other cat isn't interested.

Love the idea of the cat looking out for the dog, what a sight.

Xiney

yup, our cat is the same... just today I opened up a can of beans, went into the cupboard for a bowl and by the time I closed the cupboard the cat had nearly shoved his face into the full can of beans! He's getting faster!

The Sweeper

Graces7 wrote: »

Is that all the testing they did? I rest my case; not persuaded. Not at all.

And no re my cat and jam; other things he will not lick.. just sweet stuff. Loves sweet things.

Lost a piece of cake last night....

That's a bit silly isn't it?

If you mean is all they did putting two bowls of water in front of two cats, no, of course that's not all they did. The Monell centre focuses much of its research on taste and smell and how they work in a huge variety of living things.

Here's the text of a synopsis of the study findings.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/136/7/1932S

If you can read that and still tell me you don't believe it but have no basis for your disbelief other than your personal opinion, then you and I will continue to differ on a 'flat earth' basis.

Graces7

The Sweeper wrote: »

That's a bit silly isn't it?

If you mean is all they did putting two bowls of water in front of two cats, no, of course that's not all they did. The Monell centre focuses much of its research on taste and smell and how they work in a huge variety of living things.

Here's the text of a synopsis of the study findings.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/136/7/1932S

If you can read that and still tell me you don't believe it but have no basis for your disbelief other than your personal opinion, then you and I will continue to differ on a 'flat earth' basis.

Oh DEAR!

Why does it bother you so much that others think differently? We have minds you know. And eyes and ears.

If you look at my posts; this is not opinion, but four decades of experience with cats day and night . Breeding, rescuing.

I am not gullible to believe the latest of the ten a penny theories. so why read them? Next week; something else will be out and none of it contributes anything to cat care or welfare...

Cats are not daft and they are not clones. They are individuals with idiosyncratic taste. Read the posts, please. Look at the sheer wonderful variety of foods they adore... Clearly they have not read these ..... boffins.

My experience and awareness remain that cats taste sweetness; period. And they love it and enjoy it. Period

I think I need to add you to my ignore list today..

The Sweeper

Please do.

morganafay

I'd believe they can't taste sweet things. It makes sense, since they're not meant to be eating sweet things. They definitely seem to prefer fatty things. They'll eat some sweet things, but it could be something else they like in it besides the sugar, like with jam, maybe they like the fruitiness. And some animals just get used to a taste, by tasting it a few times, and then will eat it, even though at first maybe they didn't like it.

Everyone can have their own opinions and thoughts though.

The Sweeper

morganafay wrote: »

Everyone can have their own opinions and thoughts though.

Yes.

You can answer 2 + 2 = 5 on a maths paper.

You can declare the world to be flat.

And in the face of proven scientific evidence that goes further than theory into actual identification of a missing piece of DNA in the domestic cat which means it cannot physcially form the protein to allow it to taste sweet things, you can say that "cats can taste sweetness; period".

That does not, however, mean you're right.

Opinions are best when held loosely, and open to flexibility when pushed by reliable sources of information. They are not the same as facts.

blondie7

i was ammused to read this thread as i always thought cats were pure meat eaters (only new to the cat world and not by choice!) one of my little feckers loves tea, if i make a cup i have to pour some into a seperate bowl for the little fecker. his brother can get enough of any sort of crisps, potatoe salad, garlic bread, peanuts, popcorn, pasta. While the kitten eats nothing only cat food and meat. i love cats there hours of entertainment every night