Current Events > You eat different meals daily. Why does your cat eat the same food all its life?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Should cats have a variety of foods that they can eat interchangeably?

Why do we assume that their taste buds cannot appreciate the varieties of foods we enjoy?

They're not like dogs that only have so many taste buds.

Cats have a taste range very similar to that of humans so we should be making food for them that can be interchanged with each meal.
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when they get a job and buy their own meals they can eat whatever they want.

TheVipaGTS posted...

when they get a job and buy their own meals they can eat whatever they want.

Parents don't assume the same stance with their kids though who are just as much a part of the family as the cat is.
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Because it's a cat
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There are different flavours of cat food you can buy them, on top of things like actual chicken, fish, and beef.
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KINDERFELD posted...

TheVipaGTS posted...

when they get a job and buy their own meals they can eat whatever they want.

Parents don't assume the same stance with their kids though who are just as much a part of the family as the cat is.

yea they do. "no we can't get mcdonalds we have food at the house"...meanwhile that food is usually the same stuff they buy for the kid on every grocery trip.

KINDERFELD posted...

Parents don't assume the same stance with their kids though who are just as much a part of the family as the cat is.

Cats aren't just as much a part of the family as kids. Put a gun to the head of a child and a cat and make the parent choose who to save. Both will be killed if they chose neither. If you think they'd chose the pet over the human, you're insane. And also 100% wrong.
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Because animals aren't people so we don't treat them with the same level of kindness or respect for their intelligence/enjoyment/etc obviously. Why would we?
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Cats can have a variety of food with wet canned food
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TheVipaGTS posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

TheVipaGTS posted...

when they get a job and buy their own meals they can eat whatever they want.

Parents don't assume the same stance with their kids though who are just as much a part of the family as the cat is.

yea they do. "no we can't get mcdonalds we have food at the house"...meanwhile that food is usually the same stuff they buy for the kid on every grocery trip.

they still have a variety of foods that stimulate various taste buds.

The same cannot be said for your cat who has the same rage of taste as you do, yet eats the same thing almost all their lives.
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my cat eats cereal
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TC just stfu and get a life.
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Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

Parents don't assume the same stance with their kids though who are just as much a part of the family as the cat is.

Cats aren't just as much a part of the family as kids. Put a gun to the head of a child and a cat and make the parent choose who to save. Both will be killed if they chose neither. If you think they'd chose the pet over the human, you're insane. And also 100% wrong.

But the loss of a pet like a cat can cause the same type of grief and emotional trauma as the loss of a human loved one.
If you think otherwise, you're insane. And also 100% wrong.
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Alucard188 posted...

There are different flavours of cat food you can buy them, on top of things like actual chicken, fish, and beef.

I agree but most owners don't and aren't encouraged to change out flavors of food from time to time.

Most pet owners just find one food the cat likes and feeds them that forever.
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KINDERFELD posted...

But the loss of a pet like a cat can cause the same type of grief and emotional trauma as the loss of a human loved one.
If you think otherwise, you're insane. And also 100% wrong.

The loss of a pet can be traumatic. I never claimed otherwise. I said that pets aren't the same as their kids, and they'll choose to save their children over pets every single time.
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A stable diet is better for both cats and humans.
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Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

But the loss of a pet like a cat can cause the same type of grief and emotional trauma as the loss of a human loved one.
If you think otherwise, you're insane. And also 100% wrong.

The loss of a pet can be traumatic. I never claimed otherwise. I said that pets aren't the same as their kids, and they'll choose to save their children over pets every single time.

Neither did I claim that a person would choose to save the life of their cat over that of their human relative, yet you had to tell me I'm insane if I did believe that.
So I made the same type of comment to you.
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COVxy posted...

A stable diet is better for both cats and humans.

I agree.
But don't you think your pet who has the same taste range as you should be enjoying what you enjoy about food and that's the different tastes, textures etc?
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I don't believe cats really need much diversity in their diet compared to human children. They are carnivores who would likely hunt and eat the same kinds of prey day to day.
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KINDERFELD posted...

Neither did I claim that a person would chose to save the life of their cat over that of their human relative, yet you had to tell me I'm insane if I did believe that.
So I made the same type of comment to you.

You claimed that pets are just as much a part of the family as humans, and I gave you a simple analogy that shows you they aren't. Parents wouldn't think twice about leaving the pet in a fire over a human. Or letting someone kill their pet over the child. Contrast that with two actual members of the family. Where they in fact would have to think about who to save.

I didn't even bother going into what the law or society as a whole feels about pets. The government won't let you claim your cat as a dependent. If someone kills your pet, they are charged with destruction of property, not murder.

Also, I've just checked and you are dead wrong about cats and dogs. Dogs have 1,706 taste buds and can taste the same range of flavors as humans. Cats have 473 taste buds and can almost taste the same range as humans, but they can't really taste sweetness. Both cats and dogs care more about smell than taste. Cats can smell much better than humans, but dogs can smell significantly better than cats.

The human nose has about 5 million olfactory receptors, microscopic proteins that allow us to detect odors. With 45 million to 80 million receptors, cats have a far better sense of smell—but they can't measure up to the average dog, whose snout holds between 149 million and 300 million receptors.

We love our pets. We want them treated well. But they are not regarded as humans.
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KINDERFELD posted...

COVxy posted...

A stable diet is better for both cats and humans.

I agree.
But don't you think your pet who has the same taste range as you should be enjoying what you enjoy about food and that's the different tastes, textures etc?

I much prefer eating the same thing day in and day out.
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Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

Neither did I claim that a person would chose to save the life of their cat over that of their human relative, yet you had to tell me I'm insane if I did believe that.
So I made the same type of comment to you.

You claimed that pets are just as much a part of the family as humans, and I gave you a simple analogy that shows you they aren't. Parents wouldn't think twice about leaving the pet in a fire over a human. Or letting someone kill their pet over the child. Contrast that with two actual members of the family. Where they in fact would have to think about who to save.

I didn't even bother going into what the law or society as a whole feels about pets. The government won't let you claim your cat as a dependent. If someone kills your pet, they are charged with destruction of property, not murder.

Also, I've just checked and you are dead wrong about cats and dogs. Dogs have 1,706 taste buds and can taste the same range of flavors as humans. Cats have 473 taste buds and can almost taste the same range as humans, but they can't really taste sweetness. Both cats and dogs care more about smell than taste. Cats can smell much better than humans, but dogs can smell significantly better than cats.

The human nose has about 5 million olfactory receptors, microscopic proteins that allow us to detect odors. With 45 million to 80 million receptors, cats have a far better sense of smell—but they can't measure up to the average dog, whose snout holds between 149 million and 300 million receptors.

We love our pets. We want them treated well. But they are not regarded as humans.

I think you've mistakenly interpreted me saying that your pet is as much a part of the family as humans to mean that pets, and more specifically a cat, is regarded as a human.

I meant that pets are loved and cared and are considered a part of the family, in terms of emotional connection as other family members.

This isn't true for all pet owners, but there are certainly those out there who have an emotional connection with their pets, as strong as they do with other humans and family members.
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Tmaster148 posted...

I don't believe cats really need much diversity in their diet compared to human children. They are carnivores who would likely hunt and eat the same kinds of prey day to day.

However, we know this not to be true.
In the wild, because these animals are competing with other carnivorous for food, they tend to eat what is readily available.

However, in case of a domesticated cat, they should have access to a variety of foods as they do not have to compete with other animals in the wild for food.
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Caution999 posted...

Cats can have a variety of food with wet canned food

Yeah, I get mine a mix of all types, but she does have a favorite that I get more.
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HashBrownAgain posted...

Caution999 posted...

Cats can have a variety of food with wet canned food

Yeah, I get mine a mix of all types, but she does have a favorite that I get more.

that's very thoughtful that you expose her to a variety of food.
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KINDERFELD posted...

I think you've mistakenly interpreted me saying that your pet is as much a part of the family as humans to mean that pets, and more specifically a cat, is regarded as a human.

I meant that pets are loved and cared and are considered a part of the family, in terms of emotional connection as other family members.

This isn't true for all pet owners, but there are certainly those out there who have an emotional connection with their pets, as strong as they do with other humans and family members.

Okay, yeah. But even still not "just as much". Going by your definition, a lot of things fall into those categories. Not just cats. As far as emotional connections go, they are just above inanimate objects like houses and cars(for most people. I think we all know a freak who likes theirs wheels a bit too much) but not on the level of a child(again, for most people. Some people really don't give a shit about their kids.)

Like I said. We love them.

And again, you were wrong on the whole range thing.
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Freddie_Mercury posted...

my cat eats cereal

Cute
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Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

I think you've mistakenly interpreted me saying that your pet is as much a part of the family as humans to mean that pets, and more specifically a cat, is regarded as a human.

I meant that pets are loved and cared and are considered a part of the family, in terms of emotional connection as other family members.

This isn't true for all pet owners, but there are certainly those out there who have an emotional connection with their pets, as strong as they do with other humans and family members.

Okay, yeah. But even still not "just as much". Going by your definition, a lot of things fall into those categories. Not just cats. As far as emotional connections go, they are just above inanimate objects like houses and cars(for most people. I think we all know a freak who likes theirs wheels a bit too much) but not on the level of a child(again, for most people. Some people really don't give a shit about their kids.)

Like I said. We love them.

And again, you were wrong on the whole range thing.

Sorry but you don't speak for most people and what I said isn't wrong.
You may disagree, but that's about as much of an argument that you've presented.

However, we can always agree to disagree.

:D
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Cats don't complain about getting the same meal everyday. If they did maybe they wouldn't get the same meal everyday.
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Ivynn posted...

Because it's a cat

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Because we assume they don't have the capacity to really care for variety as long as they like what they're given. My parent's cat has gone full Pavlov's and will begin begging for his food/treats any time we shake a cup or bag of food. Both his food and treats has been a staple of his diet for years, and yet he still loves the shit.

Meanwhile my betta, Poe, he gets a variety of foods. I give him treats such as live or frozen blood worms to several varieties of betta fish flakes on a daily basis. I know he appreciates the good stuff.

Ivynn posted...

Because it's a cat

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You could buy multiple cat foods at once and switch them out every day but I'd assume they'd go bad before you use them all.
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Maybe you should eat cat food for a week and see just how sweet a deal they've got.

KINDERFELD posted...

You may disagree, but that's about as much of an argument that you've presented.

No, it isn't. You're just ignoring the fact that you were literally wrong about cats having the same taste buds as humans. They quite factually don't. You said they aren't like dogs that only have so many taste buds, but that is dead wrong as well. Dogs have more taste buds than cats.

The taste range of cats is not close to humans. They almost can't taste sweetness at all, for example.
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i had a cat previously, it got junky cat food. if i get another cat will i feed it crappy cat food again? definitely not. though i will feed it whatever the previous owner fed it before (long as it is reasonably priced) talking about costco cat food or any brand that is found at costco.

the dog i have currently gets excellent food, eats better than i do nutrition wise.
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When I had a cat I bought it different flavors of wet food and rotated them all the time. Noticed she really didn't go for the beef as much, but absolutely ate the fuck out of the turducken flavor, so I tended to buy more of those and kept the beef on the back burner. Was pretty interesting to pay attention to her eating habits
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Cats can't tell you when they don't like something by anything other than not eating it. And not eating food can make a cat really sick. That's why if a cat likes a certain food, it's not bad to keep feeding it the same type of food.

Cats are also not like humans in that they are carnivorous. A carnivorous diet doesn't have much variety in the first place.

Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

You may disagree, but that's about as much of an argument that you've presented.

No, it isn't. You're just ignoring the fact that you were literally wrong about cats having the same taste buds as humans. They quite factually don't. You said they aren't like dogs that only have so many taste buds, but that is dead wrong as well. Dogs have more taste buds than cats.

The taste range of cats is not close to humans. They almost can't taste sweetness at all, for example.

Lol
Wrong!
In spite of having less taste buds, their taste range is very similar to that of humans, while a dog's isn't.
Its like having 10 eyes that are all near sighted(dog) and 2 eyes with 20/20 vision (cat).
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KINDERFELD posted...

Lol
Wrong!
In spite of having less taste buds, their taste range is very similar to that of humans, while a dog's isn't.
Its like having 10 eyes that are all near sighted(dog) and 2 eyes with 20/20 vision (cat).

No, it isn't. Cats almost can't taste sweet at all. And you're the one that said:

KINDERFELD posted...

They're not like dogs that only have so many taste buds.

But dogs have more taste buds than cats. So you are factually wrong, again.


https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201104/how-good-is-your-dogs-sense-taste

An animal's taste sensitivity depends upon the number and type of taste buds that it has, much the same way that sensitivity for smell depends upon the number of olfactory receptors. Humans win the sensitivity contest for taste, with around 9000 taste buds as compared with only 1700 for the dog, but dogs have considerably more taste buds than cats, which average only about 470.

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cat stomaches are very delicate. Thats why they throw up all the time. your not really supposed to change their food very often

You eat different meals daily.

I do?
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Ryangrad posted...

KINDERFELD posted...

Lol
Wrong!
In spite of having less taste buds, their taste range is very similar to that of humans, while a dog's isn't.
Its like having 10 eyes that are all near sighted(dog) and 2 eyes with 20/20 vision (cat).

No, it isn't. Cats almost can't taste sweet at all. And you're the one that said:

KINDERFELD posted...

They're not like dogs that only have so many taste buds.

But dogs have more taste buds than cats. So you are factually wrong, again.


https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201104/how-good-is-your-dogs-sense-taste

An animal's taste sensitivity depends upon the number and type of taste buds that it has, much the same way that sensitivity for smell depends upon the number of olfactory receptors. Humans win the sensitivity contest for taste, with around 9000 taste buds as compared with only 1700 for the dog, but dogs have considerably more taste buds than cats, which average only about 470.

Lol
Why not read what is said about a cat's taste buds?

You're pretty comical dude.

xD
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because when i try and switch his flavour up he doesn't want it

KINDERFELD posted...

Lol
Why not read what is said about a cat's taste buds?

You're pretty comical dude.

xD

I did. You haven't posted any facts to counter mine.

The sweet taste buds in dogs respond to a chemical called furaneol. This chemical is found in many fruits and in tomatoes. Cats are virtually "taste blind" for this substance.

You're just dead wrong.
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Despite the umbrage of the parents, I sneak my kitty some chicken and fish before I fry them up.
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