Can Cats Taste Sweet?

If you’ve ever wondered why your cat is aggressively stealing your turkey but ignoring a piece of cake, you’ll find the answers in this article. Cats are still influenced by their ancestors. So, while humans tend to really like sugar, especially for comfort or energy, cats are entirely different.

Learning how your pet’s taste buds work will help you understand their sometimes strange eating preferences and why certain treats are not tempting to them the way they are to people.

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Can cats taste sweet?

No, cats cannot taste sweetness in food. You may have seen your cat lick ice cream or frosting and assumed that they enjoy sugary foods. That behavior actually has nothing to do with sugar. Cats are attracted primarily to textures, fats, and proteins.

Cats are obligate carnivores: This means they are meant to eat meat. As a result, their taste leans toward savory compounds and amino acids, rather than carbohydrates. Sweetness was not something their ancestors depended on for survival, and this predilection has been handed down to present-day cats.

However, cats can be curious, and that includes food. If they show interest in something sweet, this is most likely due to the smell, temperature, or feel of it in their mouths rather than the sweetness.

Genetics behind cats and sweet taste

As with many other traits, genetics explains why cats aren’t attracted to sweets. Taste receptors from specific genes determine your cat’s preferences. Mammals need two genes in particular to detect sweet flavors. One of these genes is called Tas1r2. In cats, this gene is basically inactive. That’s why sweets are not on a cat’s radar.

A cat’s brain never receives the signal for sweetness, because the receptor that recognizes sugar is missing a critical piece. You will find that domestic cats, big cats like lions, and other carnivores share the DNA that encodes the missing gene. All of this is derived from ancestry — evolution erased genes that weren’t useful for survival.

If you think about it, this all makes perfect sense. A cat’s ancestors hunted prey that consisted of protein and fat, not fruit or nectar. As a result, over time, having a sweet receptor conferred no survival advantage. 

Why can’t cats taste sweet things?

It is not unusual for evolution to favor traits that help a species survive or reproduce over time. Cats’ primary energy source in the wild was not carbohydrates: Prey consisted of protein for muscle, fat for energy, and moisture from tissues. Without the need for sugary foods, sweet receptors became unnecessary.

That doesn’t mean your cat won’t occasionally be interested in sweet foods. Cats frequently lick ice cream, but not because it’s sweet, but because it’s cold and creamy. Not to mention that anyone who’s lived with a curious cat knows that half the fun is simply in the investigation.

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What flavors can cats taste?

Even though they’re not wired to be attracted to sweets, cats are not without the desire for certain flavors. These are simply different from humans.

Cats are particularly sensitive to the following flavors.

• Umami (savory): This is a cat’s strongest taste attraction. That’s because this taste comes from foods rich in meat-based amino acids. This is particularly appealing to cats.

• Bitter: Cats’ ability to detect bitterness helps them avoid toxins. 

• Sour: Cats have some degree of sour detection, but not nearly as efficient as humans.

• Salty: Cats can also detect saltiness to a degree, but they don’t crave it as people do.

Cats have roughly a few hundred taste buds, while people have several thousand. As a result, cats have a highly developed sense of smell. This is why your feline gets excited smelling a warm, aromatic piece of chicken far more than anything sugary.

Texture is also very important to cats. This can help explain why your cat likes certain foods that you offer and not others. Many cats like smooth paté-style foods or moist, shredded meats. These textures give them the feeling of natural prey in their mouths. This means your so-called picky cat isn’t really being picky. Instead, you can blame it on biology.

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The difference between human and cat taste buds

While cats are carnivores, humans are omnivores. That means people benefit from being able to taste a wide range of flavors. This includes sweetness, which is found in energy-rich carbohydrates. Because people have thousands of taste buds, they can enjoy a variety of flavor combinations, desserts, and processed foods.

Cats, on the other hand, prefer and need a meat-heavy diet. They have fewer taste buds because their primary requirement is to identify what matters most: protein sources and the avoidance of possibly harmful substances.

Here are a few key differences between people and cats.

• The perception of sweet: People easily detect sugar, while cats are missing the receptor entirely.

• Taste bud count: Cats have only a few hundred, while humans have thousands.

• Flavor priorities: People enjoy a wide variety of flavors. Cats prefer umami and aroma.

• Smell: Human flavors are enhanced by smell, but this is essential for cats.

This explains why human preferences differ so much from those of cats when it comes to food. Cats may find a glazed donut interesting but not particularly tasty, while a person may think it’s the greatest thing in the world.

Bottom line

Science tells us that cats cannot taste sweetness, due to a feature of feline evolution. The cat’s carnivorous lifestyle has led to a desire for savory, protein-rich foods — and not sugar. With this in mind, your cat’s food doesn’t need many, if any, carbohydrates, which can lead to feline diabetes. Instead, provide them with high-quality meat-based food. Your cat will enjoy this diet and be much healthier.

The next time your cat turns their nose up at the food you offer, remember they’re not just being picky. It’s quite possible that something in the food is not right for their needs, and their body knows it. Their taste buds have evolved over millions of years, and your average everyday house cat still maintains the preferences of their ancestors.

References

• Lei, Weiwei, et al. “Functional Analyses of Bitter Taste Receptors in Domestic Cats (Felis Catus).” PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 10, 21 Oct. 2015, p. E0139670. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139670.

• Li, Xia, et al. “Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats’ Indifference toward Sugar.” PLoS Genetics, vol. 1, no. 1, 25 July 2005, p. E3. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003.

• ‌Pekel, Ahmet Yavuz, et al. “Taste Preferences and Diet Palatability in Cats.” Journal of Applied Animal Research, vol. 48, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2020, pp. 281–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2020.1786391.