CArnivori by nature, cats feed mainly of animal sources. For years, however, their taste skills have been under the lens of science to understand what they really manage to savor. It is known for example that they do not perceive sweet taste and have few receptors for bitterness, which do not like acid but appreciate salty. A research published in the magazine Chemical Senses in 2023 From the researchers of the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in Great Britain then ascertained that they have the receptor for the Umami, the so -called “fifth taste”. Receptor made up of two proteins codified by Tas1r1 and Tas1r3 genes. Hence, for example, their preference for tuna.
From favorite flavors (Umami wins) to false myths, small guide to the relationship between cats and food
But Ghiotti would also be of many typical foods of Japanese cuisinelike Katsuobushi, dried and smoked tuna, and Dashi, a broth based on Kombu and Katsuobushi seaweed. To bring them to our shelves, a Japanese historical family business, a family business, thought about it, INBA FOODS (founded in 1805!), Which thought it well to expand to felines – in beloved Japan – its line of food products, creating snacks and toppers based on human.
Snacks, hunting and whims: the truth about feline tastes
The occasion is good for clarification, about snacks. Many believe that cats, unlike dogs, cannot be educated with positive prizes and reinforcements.
False! In reality, cats also learn through the association between an action and a reward, like one snack Tasty and healthy, thus strengthening the desired behaviors and improving the relationship with one’s human family member.
Another commonplace is that, for the cats, food is a source of consolation. It becomes it in the case of domestic cats often alone at home. But this is another problem: they would need attention, leisure and caresses.
It is then thought that domestic cats They don’t need to go hunting. Falsissimo: Felines, even domestic ones, are natural predators. Offering them the opportunity to procure food is a very important ethological aspect. In this sense, the interactive diet, with games and use of healthy and tasty snacks, could not only create a diversion but to engage the cat stimulating it from a physical and mental point of view in a … proto-pointed.
Croquettes always available to the cat and demanding palates
Consequently, the widespread practice of leaving him Always the croquettes availableif it is useful because it allows him to make many small meals, It can frustrate its hunting and exploration instinct.
“If the cat is a tantrum, it should not be indulged”: another commonplace. Some cats can become “hyperselence” with food, to the point of accepting a single food with a precise flavor and a precise consistency. Compliant with the taste of the cat, however, is not wrong. He gives him a sense of satisfaction, stimulates the interaction and prevents him from meeting days of fasting. Of course, you can try to expand its possibilities of interest: maybe his is only a demanding palate.
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