The essentials
- Cats don’t taste sweetness — Because they’re meat-eaters, cats don’t have the gene needed to fully taste sweets.
- Some cats may try to eat sweets anyway — They may be curious about the texture, or interested in the fat or protein content.
- Sweets can be harmful to cats — Ingredients like xylitol and caffeine can cause adverse reactions in your whiskered friends, including death.
Whether you’re Team Cookie, Team Cake, Team Ice Cream, or Team Pie, most humans have a knack for sweets. Pet owners keep these sugary delights out of reach from their fur babies to avoid poisoning or other adverse reactions. But when it comes to cats, do they even crave our confections?
You may be surprised to learn that cats don’t have the sweet tooth gene. Read on to learn why your feline friend can’t taste sugary treats and the possible reasons they may get into your snack stash anyway.
Why humans taste sweets but cats don’t
Any dog owner can attest that their canines love to beg for desserts. So why aren’t cats usually chomping at the bit to share our cupcakes or fruit?
Humans have two proteins that help us identify sweet flavors (T1R3 and T1R2). Cats only have one of these proteins (T1R3). So while they do likely taste something when they eat sweets, it’s not the same as what we experience.
The link between sweets and carbohydrates
Cats are obligate carnivores who can’t process sugar or carbohydrates, which make up sweets. With no evolutionary need for sweets, cats just didn’t evolve a taste for them. This in turn protects them from eating foods that don’t meet their dietary needs.
Dr. Bruce ArmstrongCats require higher protein and lower carb diets with balanced fats. Ongoing research in nutrition and diets for cats are proving changes in foods that had been alternatives available made by manufacturers through the year.
That’s not to say there aren’t carbohydrates in conventional cat food. Carbs mostly just provide structural integrity to dry kibble. But high-carb diets can lead to obesity, diabetes, and periodontal disease for our whiskered pals. Because of this, most vets recommend a low-carb diet for cats that meets their glucose needs without putting them at risk.
Why your cat may eat your sweets anyway
Knowing all this now, you may be understandably confused if you ever catch your kitty getting into your tasty human treats. Here are the possible reasons cats lick or eat sweet foods despite not being able to taste them:
- Curiosity. Cats are curious creatures who like to explore new items and textures, which is why they may be interested in playing or interacting with a sweet item you left on the counter or dropped on the floor.
- Animal product. Sweets with animal products, like milk or egg, may get your cat’s carnivore senses tingling. Cats are also drawn to warm foods, so that batch of brownies fresh out of the oven may appeal to your kitty simply because of the heat radiating off it.
- Fats and salts. While cats can’t taste sweetness, they can taste fat and salt, which sweet foods tend to have. If you find your favorite feline rummaging through your dessert, consult your vet if you’re worried your cat isn’t getting a balanced diet.
🚨 Although sugar itself isn’t considered toxic to cats, sweets can contain harmful ingredients like xylitol, caffeine, raisins, and more.
While most cats aren’t vying to raid your sweets collection, it’s good to understand why their bodies aren’t developed for these types of food and the importance of keeping them away just in case they get curious. So long as your furry friend is on a well-balanced, low-carb diet and you consult your vet before introducing new foods, you can rest easy.
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Frequently asked questions
What flavors do cats taste?
Cats are able to identify a wide range of flavors, including saltiness, fatiness, sourness, and bitterness. One flavor they’re missing out on is sweetness, which the species lacks the gene to fully taste.
Do cats have good taste buds?
Cats have around 400 taste buds, which is significantly less than the over 9,000 taste buds in humans.
Can cats taste with their smell?
It is believed that they used their heightened sense of smell to identify nearby foods. This essentially gives them the essence of food without fully tasting it.
Do a cat’s taste buds change as they age?
As cats get older, their sense of taste and smell weakens. This is why most elderly cats are considered picky eaters.
Why can’t cats taste sweets?
Cats lack the gene necessary for fully tasting sweetness; they don’t really need sugars and carbs, so they lack the biological trait to taste them.
