Although the cat can detect the four basic tastes (sour, salty, bitter and sweet), its 473 taste buds (compared to 9,000 in humans) do not allow it to have a pronounced sense of taste.
Their food choice is more olfactory than taste. He prefers acid taste to bitter taste, which he prefers to salty taste, and he is not attracted to sweet.
In fact, these particularities are linked to their diet.
Carnivores are very insensitive to sweet foods, rich in carbohydrates, naturally not present in their diet.
Since the meat is already rich in salt, the salty taste is of little importance to the cat, since it does not need to look for it in its diet.
Salting your food is heresy!
A heightened sensitivity to bitterness allows you to avoid toxic substances.
It is known that the cat is more suspicious than the dog!
Also pay attention to what you drink: thanks to the specific taste fibers for water, this animal native to the desert, knows very well how to differentiate between two waters of different origin!
Another characteristic feature of a carnivorous diet are the fangs, the most developed and sharpest teeth: they serve to catch and kill the unlucky mouse or bird...
And sometimes, to defend himself!
The incisors, very reduced, tear and extract parts of the prey.
The molars take over and break it down by cutting (premolars) and then grinding the tissues (posterior molars).
Its lenga is a true grater of horny papillae directed backwards, which intervene separating the meat from the bones.
The chewing of food is very limited in the cat, therefore its texture and granulometry are important.
Paradoxically, it prefers a very moist diet or, on the contrary, a very dry one (croquettes) and does not appreciate sticky particles (mousse type).
The shape, size, texture and hardness of the croquettes influence prehension and consumption.
Recent scientific advances have made it possible to produce "tailor-made" croquettes, perfectly adapted to the strength and shape of the jaw and teeth, while maintaining a texture that stimulates chewing.
As the cat has a tendency to eat food greedily, chewing decreases the volume of food intake and provides a not inconsiderable mechanical antitartar action.
Clean teeth eating.
Bibliography:
Dr. L. Barlerin and Dr. JPVaissaire (2003) The Book of Breed Cats. Royal Canin, Aniwa Miscellaneous Collection, Rome, pp. 10-11.
