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21h ago
Cats can't taste sweetness — evolution turned off the relevant gene in their distant ancestors when they became obligate carnivores, and without working sweet receptors, a cat is as indifferent to sugar as a person is to ultraviolet light
- Latest finding: cats and other carnivores independently lost functional Tas1r2, erasing sweet taste.
- In cats, Tas1r2 is broken while Tas1r3 remains intact, disabling the sweet receptor.
- Behavioral tests show some carnivores lack preference for sweet compounds, matching genetic losses.
- Researchers note a convergent pattern: repeated loss of sweetness across carnivorous mammals.
- Cats retain bitter, salty, sour, and umami receptors, with umami aiding meat recognition.
- The discovery traces back to 2005 and 2012 studies on cat sweetness loss in carnivores.
- The finding helps explain why sweet ingredients in cat foods may not appeal to cats.
- The study compiles data showing similar gene losses across multiple meat-eating lineages.
- Space Daily editors note the broader scope: carnivores universally show taste loss as they rely on meat.
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