this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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Ever wonder why cats love tuna? Well apparently a bunch of scientists did too, and they found the answer: the umami flavor (savoriness in English, I guess), is a cat's most favorite (as opposed to mine, which is definitely sweet).

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[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 13 points 2 years ago

Cats can't taste sweetness.

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They might like it, but that doesn't mean it's good for them

[–] will_a113@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 years ago

This is a bigger problem the higher up the foodchain you go, so giving your cat Bluefin is worse (not to mention much more expensive) than the common stuff (albacore or light tuna) that comes in a can. And of course it's even worse for humans, for the same reason - and we live longer so the heavy metals have more time to accumulate.

[–] spauldo@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Do cats eat mushrooms? They're supposed to be chock full of umami.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] omgarm 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Posting here rather than tagging to keep engagement high. Let us know about the science.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

0/4 takers, including the meatball that eats anything you put in front of him.

[–] spauldo@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

Thank you for your contribution to human knowledge.

[–] EndMilkInCrisps@hexbear.net 2 points 2 years ago

Mercury is the elixir of immortality that grants them nine lives.

[–] authed@lemmy.ml -1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I wonder why we don't eat cats

[–] will_a113@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Meat from predators is very gamey - and an obligate carnivore like a cat would be the worst.

[–] authed@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

But reproduce like removed... It might be a good protein in poor countries

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 years ago

Cats are preyed upon, but we naked apes are particularly adept for hunting ungulates, since we can track and outdistance them by far. And that's before we get into basic tools.

During colder periods when larger fauna prevailed, the atlatl or spear thrower was the pre-civilization elephant gun (we've tested them and with the strength of a common adult man, an atlatl can propel a javelin out the other side of an elk).

And for every cat we might find, we'd find twenty hares and twice as many squirrels.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 years ago

We did in times of desperation. During the Blitz, the Brits would sometimes resort to eating roof rabbit, id est, stray cat.

It's gamey and there's very little meat for the effort so eating cat really is desperation fare. You might be better off training your kitties to hunt lizards and rodents and work out how to make them into a worthy stew.