Why do cats love tuna so much? Scientists may finally know

[douglas9]

Apart from Garfield’s legendary love of lasagna, perhaps no food is more associated with cats than tuna. The dish is a staple of everything from The New Yorker cartoons to Meow Mix jingles—and more than 6% of all wild-caught fish goes into cat food. Yet tuna (or any seafood for that matter) is an odd favorite for an animal that evolved in the desert. Now, researchers say they have found a biological explanation for this curious craving.

In a study published this month in Chemical Senses, scientists report that cat taste buds contain the receptors needed to detect umami—the savory, deep flavor of various meats, and one of the five basic tastes in addition to sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Indeed, umami appears to be the primary flavor cats seek out. That’s no surprise for an obligate carnivore. But the team also found these cat receptors are uniquely tuned to molecules found at high concentrations in tuna, revealing why our feline friends seem to prefer this delicacy over all others.

“This is an important study that will help us better understand the preferences of our familiar pets,” says Yasuka Toda, a molecular biologist at Meiji University and a leader in studying the evolution of umami taste in mammals and birds. The work could help pet food companies develop healthier diets and more palatable medications for cats, says Toda, who was not involved with the industry-funded study.

https://www.science.org/content/article/why-do-cats-love-tuna-so-much-scientists-may-finally-know

[spooky3]

1. My cats generally prefer tasteless boiled chicken

As a treat. I don’t get it.

[Nululu]

13. My Bennie was like that too.

No interest in tuna but you practically had to hide behind the couch to eat chicken.

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. Tuna is especially stinky too

[getagrip_already]

3. All my cats need to hear is the sound of me preparing to open

A can of tuna and they are right there.

Mind you, I haven't actually opened a can. Just put the can on the counter, found the can opener, put the little ceramic ramekins I drain the water into for them down, and start to chop onions.

They could be anywhere, usually way upstairs sleeping, and I hear them running into the kitchen.

Eerie.

They just get the water and whatever little tidbits flow with it, but they love it.

[Golden Raisin]

6. Mine would come zooming when I merely opened the specific

cabinet which housed the tuna cans.

[Faux pas]

4. Interesting

thank you for posting. My cat loves whatever meat essence lick 'ems are left on my paper plate after i eat.

[catbyte]

5. All 3 of my cats love lapping up the tuna water yet they leave the tuna itself to dry up in their

bowls. Perhaps somebody should study that, lol. But then, two out of three of them won't eat anything but kibble, and none of them like people food all that much. Otis will eat a little bit of shrimp and Sammy will eat steak, but only if it is medium rare and cooked outside. However, she does like to lick the gravy out of the empty cat food can after I feed Outside Kitty. Outside Kitty is a fussy, militant feral who will not eat kibble or "pate"-type cat food, only chunks or shreds in gravy. He does like tuna, though. Rosie turns up her nose at all people food, but she does love canned cat food.

I have odd cats, lol, but it makes dinnertime for all of us a breeze.

[multigraincracker]

7. Just found out my cat is into

fresh corn silks. Had a sack with some fresh corn in it on the floor and she was on it, making a mess.

[japple]

8. I used to have a cat (tortie) that LOVED fresh corn. I would cut off a piece

of the cob and she would carry it around like a prized kill. She liked to suck the milk from the corn kernals. Of course torties do weird stuff.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Our cats have tipped over the garbage can to get corn silks. Don't know what it is. nt

[japple]

15. Forgot to mention my persian cat that begged for kidney beans

and pinto beans, and she also loved roasted red bell pepper. She was an extraordinary girl and lived with us for for 20 years. She was (according to our vet) about 2-3 years when we got her out of the animal shelter.

[niyad]

10. My liittle rescue prefers bacon, shredded chicken and ham.

[Lonestarblue]

11. I used to cat sit for a cat who loved salmon, so I just cooked a bit extra when making my own

dinner. She would ignore her cat food if she smelled salmon cooking.

[chowder66]

12. I once had a cat that loved hot salsa. She liked it most when she was a kitten.

[JHB]

14. They're kind of stupid that way