What does my cat taste?

Posted on by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

What does my cat taste?

Both humans and cats have taste buds, containing taste receptors, on their tongues.  Taste receptors can also be found outside the mouth:  in the nose, esophagus, stomach, trachea. However, the feline gourmet has a different gustatory experience than a human does.

Cat’s don’t have a sweet tooth

While we humans have thousands (2,000 – 10,000) of taste buds on our tongues, our cats are thought to have about 470.  Both humans and cats have taste receptors that detect salt, sour, bitter, and umami (savory). 

Cats, however, do not taste sweet things – they lack the proper genetic material to code for sweet receptors.

 

Quality Control

On the other hand, cats have taste receptors that detect the amino acids that make up the proteins in the meat they eat. This is the umami taste – cats are sensitive to lysine, proline, alanine among other amino acids. Cats are what we call “ obligate carnivores” meaning they are designed to eat primarily protein-rich meat. Being able to taste amino acids allows them to evaluate the nutritional quality of the food they eat – is it a good source of protein?

Bitterness

Bitterness was long thought to be useful to animals that consume plants, alerting them to poisons in plants. Although cats are designed to live on a diet of meat, they are sensitive to bitter tastes and have about 12 different “bitter” taste receptors.  (Humans are thought to have 25). The Human biology of taste

Being sensitive to bitter flavors can tell the cat about potentially poisonous plant food eaten by its prey as well as the freshness of the meat it’s eating. When proteins decay, bitter substances are produced that not only activate the cat’s bitter receptors but block the cat’s amino acid taste receptors. This warns the cat away from eating spoiled meat. A solitary hunter, the cat cannot risk becoming sick by eating spoiled meat – it will not be able to hunt and will starve.

The Taste of Water

Cats also have receptors on their tongues that let them know when they are drinking water – they can actually taste it!  These water receptors are particularly sensitive to things dissolved in water that make it salty, sour or bitter.

So… What does this mean for the cat guardian?

  • sometimes cats won’t eat canned food from refrigerator – perhaps proteins are starting to break down causing the food to be bitter
  • many medications are bitter which can make them hard to hide in cat food – compounding pharmacies can make specially flavored tablets flavors that mask or block the bitterness in your cat’s medication
  • picky eater? try warming your cat’s food to enhance the aroma: your cat’s awesome sense of smell AND taste receptors in the nasal cavity may just stimulate his appetite
  • Filtering water may help remove dissolved substances in tap water and make it more palatable to your cat

 

DID YOU KNOW: 

  • cats can taste adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source that powers every living cell (ATP is found in meat)
  • If your cat likes ice cream and icing, it is most likely the fat that she values, not the sweetness, which she can’t taste

Pheremones and Communication

Posted on by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Pheromones and Feline Communication

To us humans, smell is only important for deciding what food to eat or what perfume to wear. But for cats, smells are like a second language. With just their noses, they can learn almost everything they need to know about their surroundings and the other cats they meet.

 

 

Each of us has his or her own “signature odor”. These signature odors help cats recognize other cats, familiar humans and other animals by the way they smell. 

 

“Semiochemicals” are special molecules that carry “messages” from one organism to another. The organism receiving the “message” will respond with a change in physiology or behavior. Most semiochemicals are transmitted by odors.

Pheromones

Pheromones are a type of semiochemical that helps animals of the same species message with each other. They are the same for every member of the species, and send the same “message” to each member of that species that detects them. For cats, these messages include marking boundaries, indicating sexual receptivity, and sending greetings. Lactating mother cats also produce a blend of “appeasing” pheromones that make kittens feel safe and reassured when their mothers are nearby.  

Cats take in pheromones either by sniffing or using the Flehmen response. They release pheromones using glands located in: 

  • the lips
  • the cheeks
  • the pads of the feet
  • under the chin
  • at the base of the tail 
  • the area surrounding the teats in females. 

 

 

When cats rub their faces on things, sharpen their claws on an object, spray urine, or leave their feces uncovered, they are depositing pheromones. These pheromones linger in the area and help cats “leave a message” for any other cats that pass by.

 

It’s easy to get frustrated with your cat when these messages damage your furniture or stain your carpet, but remember: your cat is trying to communicate, not destroy your home. Just giving them objects they’re allowed to “mark,” like scratching posts and other cat furniture, is often all they need to convince them to deposit their pheromones in more appropriate places.

Science and Pheromones: Synthetic Pheromones

Some feline pheromones have been synthesized in the laboratory and are available commercially.  Feliway and Comfort Zone are two brands of synthetic cat pheromones. 

Feliway Classic (Comfort Zone “Calming”) is a synthetic version of the pheromones cats deposit when rubbing their whiskers/lips on things. This particular pheromone marks the cat’s territory as safe and secure. 

Feliway Multicat (Comfort Zone Multicat Control) is a synthetic version of the “appeasing” pheromone mother cats use to soothe their kittens, and can help reduce tension in multi-cat households. 

Feliscratch replicates the pheromones released when a cat scratches something, marking territory and signaling that he was there. We can use Feliscratch to encourage cats to use a scratching post.

 

These products can be used alone or combined to help you tell your cat how you want him or her to behave. For example, you could use Feliscratch to make your cat’s scratching post more appealing, and also use Feliway Classic on other areas of your home to show your cat that they are already safely marked and there is no need to scratch there.

 

Feline pheromones are undetectable by human noses or other animals. So, you can’t smell the world the same way your cat does. But knowing the importance of pheromones in your cat’s world will help you better understand “why my cat does that”.

A Cat’s world: What does my cat smell?

Posted on by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

What does my cat smell?

Cats live in a landscape of odors. Odors tell them about their world and carry messages from other cats. 

Cats have two ways of detecting odors in their environment: the cells lining the nose and nasal cavity and the vomeronasal  organ  (VNO or  Jacobson’s  organ).  The VNO  consists of  two  fluid-filled  sacs  located  in  the  roof  of  the  cat’s  mouth that  connect  to  the  nasal  cavity  as  well  as  the  mouth. Molecules dissolved  in  the  nasal  mucus or saliva can be sucked into the VNO.

Sometimes,  you  will  see  a  cat  with  its  mouth  open,  lips  parted  and  upper  lip raised,  giving  the  appearance  of  a  grimace  or grin.  This  is  known  as  a  Flehmen  response and  allows  the  cat  to  draw  chemicals  into  the VNO.

Street addresses and Road Signs

The cat learns to associate certain odors/scents with a particular experience. To a cat, another animal or person has a signature odor. This collection of odors allows the cat to recognize an individual cat or other creature. For example, signature  odors can tell the cat the gender and health of another cat. 

The cat’s sense of smell also registers feline pheromones, chemicals that convey messages among cats.  These chemical messages can be understood only by other cats and are the same for all cats.

 

The signature odor is like a street address, telling the cat about an individual animal or object; pheromones are like traffic signs, alerting the cat to the presence of other cats and whether these cats are friendly or not.

Smells cats like (besides food!)

  • Catnip – a member of the mint family, contains nepetalactone, which can cause the “kitty crazies” in some of our feline friends!
  • Silver Vine – a plant from east Asia, has 6 compounds that are similar chemically to the active ingredient in catnip, nepetalactone.  More cats respond to silver vine than catnip.
  • Valerian Root – Contains 1 compound with similar chemical structure to nepetalactone
  • Tartarian Honeysuckle can also elicit a response in cats and is considered safe. 

Smells Cat’s don’t like

Smells cats don’t like include: citrus scents, vinegar, household cleaners

My four cats  also give lavender and rosemary a pass – there is no rubbing or nibbling on these although the humans sure enjoyed the indoor greenery during the winter!

 

DID YOU KNOW: Some cats do not respond to catnip; kittens will not respond to the herb until they are 4 months old or more.

Felines – Family, Friends, Roommates

Posted on by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats are said to be the most recently domesticated animal – some people don’t even consider them domesticated! Cats have been hanging out with people for about 10,000 years (dogs have been with us a bit longer – 15,000 years).  How did they become “house” cats?

As people began to settle down and farm, they began to store grains.  The house mouse was not far behind, moving in to share the feast.

Enter Felis Silvestris Catus…

The  domestic cat’s closest relative is the North African wildcat – a solitary hunter.  At the grain stores, there was plenty of prey in a small area. The mother wildcat did not have to drive off her daughters when they became adults as there was plenty of food for everyone.  Some wildcats embarked on a social experiment that resulted in Felis Silverstris Catus, the furr ball who just may be lounging on your keyboard right now.

The Rise of the Cat Colony

 The major difference between the North African wildcat and the domestic cat, Felis Catus, is behavior.  If there is plenty of food around, Felis Catus tends to form groups called colonies. The core of the cat colony are the females, typically a mother, her sisters, and her daughters.   These females share the care of the kittens – they nurse each others’ kittens and even help each other give birth. 

Male kittens – not so welcome

They are driven off by their mothers at maturity to avoid inbreeding. They can become solitary hunters like their wildcat ancestors or become attached to an unrelated colony if accepted by the females

 

INTERESTING FACT: cats from the same litter can have different fathers since the female cat will mate with multiple partners when in heat.

Family

A kitten’s instruction in the language of Cat begins with his mother, aunts, and littermates. Once weaned, he continues his studies with other juveniles and adults in the colony. 

Cats tend to show more friendly behavior toward family members than outsiders.  Hugs and back slapping are easier to accept from your parents and siblings; it can be downright uncomfortable from someone you barely know. Cats raised together as kittens can form strong bonds – they are often seen grooming each or rubbing against each other.

Friends and roommates

Unrelated cats living together are like school roommates – sometimes they become friends but often roommates just put up with each other.  Imagine someone you have never laid eyes on before, showing up at your door with suitcases, ready to move in. Bringing a new cat home is like a roommate moving in.  Want to get another cat? Consider…

 

  • Some cats are just more friendly than others (genetics); 
  • Some cats have had better social experiences with other cats.  
  • Cats whose mothers/aunts are friendly to other cats also tend to be more friendly with other cats.  
  • There will always be cats that just do not like other cats.
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