Cats possess taste buds, but their sense of taste is structured differently from a human’s, reflecting their unique dietary needs as obligate carnivores. The feline gustatory system is highly specialized, focusing on compounds relevant to a meat-based diet. This distinct biological design means cats perceive and prioritize different flavor profiles in their food.
The Feline Taste System
The cat’s tongue includes taste buds housed within small, raised structures called papillae. The number of taste buds in a cat is significantly lower than in humans, contributing to a less complex taste profile. A domestic cat has only about 470 taste buds, compared to the 9,000 or more found on a human tongue.
These sensory structures are primarily located on the fungiform, foliate, and vallate papillae, found on the tip, sides, and back of the tongue. The more numerous filiform papillae give the cat’s tongue its characteristic “sandpaper” texture. These are designed for grooming and stripping meat from bone, not for housing taste receptors.
The Unique Deficiency: Sweetness
The most remarkable difference in the feline taste system is its inability to detect sweetness, a trait rare among mammals. This deficiency is rooted in a specific genetic mutation that renders a key receptor non-functional. Cats lack the necessary functional gene, Tas1r2, which codes for one of the two protein subunits (T1R2) required to form the sweet taste receptor.
The Tas1r2 gene in cats is a pseudogene, containing a microdeletion and multiple stop codons, preventing the production of a working protein. Since the sweet taste receptor requires the T1R2 protein, its absence means the cat cannot register the taste of sugars or carbohydrates. This genetic quirk aligns with their status as obligate carnivores.
Tastes Cats Can Detect
While cats cannot taste sweetness, they possess robust receptors for other tastes that are directly relevant to their carnivorous diet. Cats can successfully detect Umami, Bitter, Sour, and Salty flavors. The Umami taste, often described as savory or meaty, is particularly important and highly developed in felines.
The Umami receptor, formed by the T1R1 and T1R3 protein subunits, is finely tuned to amino acids such as L-alanine and L-histidine. These amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and a strong Umami response allows a cat to gauge the protein quality of its meal. Cats are also highly sensitive to bitter compounds, which helps them avoid toxins and serves as a warning against spoiled meat.
Beyond Taste: The Role of Other Senses
Since the feline sense of taste is limited, other senses play a paramount role in food selection and palatability. Olfaction, or the sense of smell, is often a more influential factor in a cat’s appetite than taste. Cats have a superior sense of smell compared to humans, relying on volatile compounds to determine if food is appealing.
Texture, or mouthfeel, and temperature are also significant determinants of whether a cat will consume a meal. Many cats show a preference for foods that are close to body temperature, which mimics the warmth of freshly killed prey. Cats also possess a specialized chemosensory organ called the vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson’s organ, located in the roof of the mouth. This organ primarily detects non-volatile chemical signals and contributes to the cat’s overall sensory evaluation of potential food items.