Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007)

Re:Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007) by zdragnar on Thursday November 14, 2019 @10:41AM (#21536241)

For some reason, I had always assumed there were a number of mammals that didn't care much for sweets, even though in retrospect I know that ferrets, also carnivores, will obsess over sweet drinks.

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Re:Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007) by dghughes on Thursday November 14, 2019 @11:05AM (#21536498)

In case it isn't known artificial sweetener specifically xylitol is toxic to cats (and dogs). So things like toothpaste which has artificial sweetener for humans is bad for cat. I'm sure there are some people with cats who brush their cats' teeth.

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Re:Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007) by eigenschwarz on Thursday November 14, 2019 @11:05AM (#21536495)

Perhaps because mustelids have an extraordinarily high metabolism for their size? https://nyti.ms/1Ur6S6C

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Re:Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007) by zdragnar on Thursday November 14, 2019 @04:17PM (#21539525)

As carnivores, I wouldn't expect them to have a use for tasting sweet things. The article doesn't address that point, but I think anyone who owns a ferret could tell you that they have a crazy metabolism!

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Re:Cats Cannot Taste Sweets (2007) by pcwalton on Thursday November 14, 2019 @10:45AM (#21536280)

There are a few related species to ferrets, like sables and pine martens, that are omnivores and will eat berries and whatnot.

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