Why cats always love meat, but do not feel the sweet taste. Important facts about baleen beetles and their food

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The smell of food is of great importance to cats, but it is very important when they taste it. If the aroma of food attracts a meowing pet, and the taste of at least one of its ingredients turns out to be repulsive, then he will refuse the entire treat. In addition, you need to know what taste cats cannot taste. After all, what is tasty for a person is not always so for his smaller cat brother. The taste selectivity of a cat has given these animals a reputation as capricious eaters. In terms of pickiness in food, any cat can outdo even a pregnant woman.

Do cats feel taste?

To better understand your beloved cat and give her only the best, learn how the taste perception of furry pets works and what tastes cats cannot taste.
Taste is one of the most complex senses. Taste sensations are usually divided into four main ones: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. And recently, the taste of “umami” (the taste of high-protein substances) and the taste of water have also been distinguished. Can cats taste this? In fact, the taste of cats is different from that of humans, and what a person likes is not always to the taste of a cat.

Let's figure out how best to attract your pet to the bowl or, conversely, protect it from dangerous objects in the house.

Sour taste

The distinct sour taste is very attractive to cats, but consuming food that is high in acid can lead to health problems.

Salty taste

Animal foods contain optimal levels of sodium chloride, so salt sensitivity in cats is less developed than in omnivores. And yet cats distinguish the salty taste. If you add salt to food, your cat will eat it with greater pleasure and will also drink more water, which is definitely a plus. The main thing is not to overdo it.

Sweet taste

Do cats taste sweets? Definitely not: cats do not have sweet taste receptors, so they do not perceive sweet tastes and do not respond not only to sugar, but also to its substitutes. This feature does not cause any inconvenience to cats, because the diet of wild cats in nature does not include fruit, so cats do not need the ability to recognize sweet taste.

Bitter taste

But cats have a very negative attitude towards bitterness. Interestingly, they have a higher threshold for bitterness than other animals, such as dogs. But you can use this! With the help of bitterness, you can wean your cat from gnawing unwanted objects in the house by lightly spraying them from a spray bottle.

Umami taste

This is another taste along with sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It is also called broth or meat flavor. Since it tastes close to salty, cats react positively to it.

Other flavors

In addition to the aforementioned “basic” tastes, cats are able to recognize amino acids. This feature is characteristic of most large cats in nature. Thanks to it, the cat can determine the type of meat, its fat content, freshness and other important features. They also have water taste receptors. This is why cats often drink water from the tap or from large containers where the water does not stagnate longer.

Therefore, try to change the water in your pet's bowl at least twice a day. Remember that cats tend to remember taste for a long time. When choosing food, they are guided by past experiences. Cats quickly establish a connection between the substance they consume and the consequences for the body.

Therefore, after eating food that led to eating disorders, the cat will refuse it in the future. On the contrary, if food with a certain taste and smell gives the cat pleasure and does not lead to digestive disorders, the cat will be willing to eat it again. However, a variety of tastes is very important for a cat from childhood.

In the Whiskas® range you can find both dry and wet diets to provide a complete and varied diet for your pet. Take a closer look at the variety of Whiskas® diets in a special article.

Reviews about unusual taste preferences of pets

Researchers have proven that our domestic cats cannot taste the sweet tastes of different foods.
Although cats nominally have sweet receptors on their tongues, they have lost their function as a result of a mutation in the T1R2 gene. Scientists believe this happened because cats primarily eat meat. Monosodium glutamate provides the umami taste sensation. This substance is found in pork, beef, chicken and other products. As many as 12 genes were found in domestic purrs that are responsible for the functioning of bitter taste receptors. Scientists decided to test the reaction of these genes to bitter substances. To do this, they transplanted these genes into artificially grown cells.

The researchers then compared the perception of bitterness in cats and cats with other carnivores, as well as omnivores and herbivores. 15 receptors were found in dogs, 14 in ferrets and 13 in polar bears. And the herbivorous giant panda has slightly more bitter taste receptors on its tongue than domestic whiskers, namely 16. This part of the study clearly showed that the sensation of bitterness has nothing to do with the amount of plant food the animals eat.

There are features that are common to all representatives of the cat world. And you need to know these features of the behavior and attitude of pets, then you can try to understand your cat and become true friends.

There are only a few hundred taste buds in a cat's mouth, which is incomparable to the nine thousand in humans. And at the same time, she will unmistakably distinguish a desired treat from an unloved one. Incredible! It turns out that her sense of smell is much better developed than one would expect.

What motivates an animal when it chooses a treat? Does it rely on smell or taste?

The sense of smell is extremely important in attracting an animal to food. A cat's nose is many times more sensitive than a human's. This is thought to help cats differentiate between tastes.

But representatives of the Feline family have something special - Jacobson's organ of smell. This is part of the nose area, which became isolated during the process of evolution, and is connected to the external environment through small holes in the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. Meowing pets use it to understand tastes and aromas. Although the function of this olfactory organ is still debated.

At the tip of the tongue, on its underside and on the sides, the cat has taste buds.

And yet, what is the best way to attract your pet to a bowl of food? A big piece is better for him than crumbs. And soft food is preferable to hard food. They say that even the shape matters and it is better if the large pieces are not the same from day to day. Warm food will attract you more quickly than food fresh from the refrigerator.

In addition, these animals remember the taste for a long time. And they will establish the connection between the food eaten and its consequences for the body quite quickly. If some food leads to an upset stomach, the pet will refuse it in the future. And vice versa, what you like will be readily consumed.

The sense of taste functions in kittens immediately after birth, while cats have much fewer taste buds than humans or dogs (only 500 versus 9 and 8 thousand, respectively). This is due to the fact that the cat is an obligate carnivore, and in nature feeds exclusively on meat. They don't need to feel the entire flavor bouquet of the product.

So in all cats, the gene responsible for the protein that perceives sweet taste has mutated, and cats absolutely do not taste sweets. But cats sense bitterness better than anyone else. In nature, almost all poisons are bitter, so the perception of bitterness is one of the body’s key defense mechanisms. Because of such an acute and vivid perception of bitterness, it is very difficult for cats to give a variety of medications - when they come into contact with the tongue, a gag reflex and profuse salivation (nausea) are instantly caused. At the same time, bitter sprays perfectly discourage cats from chewing wires.

Do cats feel taste? Of course, but not at all like many other mammals - taste perception is not particularly important for these animals. Their pickiness in food is associated more with the aroma and temperature of foods than with their taste, although, of course, cats are most attracted to fatty and protein foods.

Taste is the quality of a substance entering the oral cavity; information about it is transmitted to the central nervous system. This happens thanks to special sensitive receptors that are “built-in” into the cat’s tongue. They, in turn, are “hidden” in such elements of the tongue as papillae.

Different groups of papillae on the tongue of a tailed pet have their own purposes:

The filiform (conical) papillae are used to lick fur, hold food on the tongue, and also to perceive pain and the temperature of food. It is the filiform papillae that create a feeling of roughness when a cat licks our hand; she needs them to care for the fur and hold food in the mouth
Mushroom-shaped - located along the perimeter of the tongue, named after the shape they have.
Leaf-shaped - along the edge of the tongue, the largest of all papillae.
Grooved - at the root of the tongue. A cat does not have many of them, much less than a dog or a person.

The taste buds include mushroom-shaped, leaf-shaped and grooved papillae. Scientists suggest that with the help of mushroom-shaped and leaf-shaped papillae, animals distinguish between sour and salty tastes, and with the help of groove-shaped papillae, bitter.

Taste buds have only mushroom-shaped, leaf-shaped and circumvallate papillae

Newborn kittens are already able to distinguish the taste of food.

Cats are better at smelling than humans. But we have much more taste buds - 9000 versus 473 in cats.

A cat's tongue is sensitive to temperature. Pets will not eat food from the refrigerator. True, not because they fear for the health of their throat. It’s just that their food in the natural environment has a body temperature of 30–45 ° C. Moreover, this food is alive. Carrion has a much lower body temperature, and cats do not eat it (this applies not only to our purrs, but also to the more formidable and wild representatives of this family). That is, instinct tells the animal that the food from the refrigerator has been “dead” for a long time, and it is not worth eating due to the threat of poisoning by toxins.

My Thai cat Sonya really loved melon and persimmon pulp. Always well-mannered, she brazenly climbed onto our hands or the table if we were going to eat these foods. True, she ate the softest and juiciest. My other backyard cat loved peanuts and chocolate. It was simply impossible not to share Snickers with her.

Our cat is on dry food, but we recently found out that he loves watermelons... and kiwi... He just eats watermelon in pieces: omg: Although, I still agree with watermelon, but kiwi is sour and eats it anyway. We are also crazy about beer (beer alcoholic :gy:) Well, he doesn’t drink directly, but my husband dips his finger in the beer and lets him lick it. Now he simply doesn’t let his husband pass with a bottle of beer - he runs after him until he lets him lick him

We just recently got a little kitten. We didn’t know what to feed, but it turned out that he was eating zucchini – it was cracking behind the ears. And I was worried about where they had grown this year)

My cat loves melon, watermelon, cucumbers, fresh cabbage and canned olives. This may not be normal, but it doesn’t seem to cause any harm; every day, in addition to dry food, there are also fresh vegetables.

A domestic cat does not know what is harmful and what is beneficial. If she was constantly fed meat and offal, she will be reluctant to eat ready-made food or fish. Therefore, kittens from 4 months must be accustomed to a variety of foods. By receiving a balanced diet, your furry pet will be active and healthy for a long time.

For some a cutlet, for others a candy. Do cats have different tastes?

Taste is not a guide to taste - who likes watermelon and who likes pork cartilage. The catchphrase applies to our cats as much as it applies to ourselves. In terms of exotic taste preferences, kote can compete even with pregnant women. Some people run to the kitchen as soon as they smell the squash caviar, others can’t be pulled away by the ears from watermelon, others go crazy over cheese cookies.

I wonder what guides the mustachios when choosing the most desired treat? Do cats discriminate tastes or are they guided only by smell?

It turns out that they feel it, although not as keenly as people do. For example: owners have nine thousand taste buds, while pets have less than five hundred. At the same time, there is an opinion that the palette of taste sensations in cats is richer than in humans. Thus, they feel much better the so-called meat taste, or “umami”, for which the receptor of the same name is responsible - this helps them distinguish between types of meat, its fat content and the freshness of the product.

Not the taste of the cake, but the smell?

One way or another, researchers no longer doubt what taste kittens cannot taste: they are firmly convinced that sweetness is unfamiliar to the tailed ones. Some even joke that the difficult temperament of cats is connected precisely with this. And to those who give the example of mustachioed sweet tooths eating cakes, yoghurts and ice cream, scientists answer: their pets are attracted not by sweetness, but by the taste and smell of milk and fat.

But science is still silent about what makes cats eat raspberries, honey or fruit jelly.

What canned food tastes best for cats?

RESEARCH ATTENTION! You and your cat can take part in it! If you live in Moscow or the Moscow region and are ready to regularly observe how and how much your cat eats, and also remember to write it all down, you will receive FREE SET OF WET FOOD.

Project for 3–4 months. Organizer - Petkorm LLC.

Want to participate? Call!

Do cats feel taste?

Cats are big food lovers, but at the same time they are not gluttons, but rare gourmets. Cats are known for their...

Other flavors

Just like us, cats perceive the world through their five senses. Using sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, we observe, learn, navigate the world around us and have sensory experiences. The sense organs of a domestic cat were inherited from its ancestor - a wild cat, a dangerous and furious hunter and predator, and are intended for stalking, hunting and killing.

Almost all five of your pet's senses have increased sensitivity compared to human ones. So, what are we better developed and what are worse developed compared to our furry comrades? A cat's vision is superior to ours at night, but inferior to ours during the day. Cats have a slightly larger viewing angle than humans.

READ A foreign body has entered: how to properly remove it from a cat. Foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract

We have a similar range of audible sounds at low frequencies, but cats can hear sounds much higher than we can. A cat's sense of smell is fourteen times better than ours. Cats have a specialized taste, as they are carnivores that prefer to eat meat and fat. They do not have the gene that allows them to taste and enjoy sweets - this would greatly help many people diet!

Vision

Cats have excellent night vision. They can easily distinguish objects even in dimly lit environments, although they cannot see in complete darkness. There are two types of cells on a cat's retina: one type perceives vertical objects, the other - horizontal ones. Cats' vision is tuned to detect motion, so they can see moving objects that are too fast for our eyes to detect, but they have difficulty focusing on very slowly moving objects.

This ability, in addition to night vision, makes the cat a successful hunter, active at night. A unique feature of the domestic cat's eye is the shape of the pupil. A cat can see in dim light because its pupils can open three times wider than a human's. Cats also have an inner eyelid that helps clean and protect their eyes.

Cats have keen hearing, adapted specifically to detect high-pitched sounds. The ears are quite large in relation to the head and can move from side to side to catch the source of sound more accurately. Cats' ears have a unique design that carries sound into the ear canal, allowing them to hear a mouse rustling in the bushes within a 30-meter radius.

Cats can turn their ears 180 degrees. In addition, they can detect the smallest deviations in sound, identifying differences as small as one tenth of a tone. This discrimination ability helps them pinpoint the type and size of prey making noise, or quickly locate a meowing kitten.

Smell

Cats rely on their sense of smell. They always smell food before eating, and leaving their scent on objects is an integral part of cat communication. A cat's sense of smell is much better than a human's, but not as good as a dog's. A cat uses scent to find food, friends, enemies and to mark its territory.

Cats also have a unique mechanism at the top of their mouth that allows them to make special analyzes of air molecules. A pair of organs, called Jacobson's organs, allow a cat to analyze the air it inhales through its mouth rather than through its nose. There are several hypotheses about how cats use Jacobson's organs, including: searching for food, predicting unusual events such as earthquakes, and sensing sexual odors or pheromones.

Compared to humans, cats have little taste for food. We have 9,000 taste buds, while cats only have 473. Thus, cats smell food rather than taste it. Cats use taste to determine whether foods are edible to them. Since they are carnivores, their sense of taste is aimed at identifying proteins and fats in food.

Cats are also not very sensitive to the taste of salty or sweet. Food straight from the refrigerator is not meant for these animals, whose wild ancestors ate freshly killed victims. Try heating your pet's food if she doesn't eat it very well. This will enhance the aroma and improve your pet's appetite.

Touch

Like their human companions, cats have sensory receptors throughout their bodies. The paw pads and whiskers are especially sensitive. They are particularly rich in nerve cells that transmit sensations of pressure, temperature and pain to the brain, but these cells are found throughout the body. The most sensitive places on a cat's body are the face and front paws.

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History of taste

Dogs have a feeding pattern inherited from their hereditary relatives. Dogs are prone to eating disorders. Their ancestors could not rely on regular meals, so they developed the ability to eat large quantities of food in one sitting. The principle was as follows: when you are lucky enough to get food, you need to eat as much as possible, because it is unknown how soon you will be able to get it again.

Dogs are also scavengers. They love nothing more than to jog, almost with their nose to the ground, sniffing the ground as they go. One theory for why they do this is that their ancestors survived by eating human waste and what people disdained.

Despite all of these traits that increase a wild dog's survivability, scavenging can lead to problems especially for domestic dogs that do not have nutritional deficiencies. Dogs have very powerful digestive systems, and a dog accustomed to life as a stray can eat almost anything without any ill effects.

Some dogs may simply vomit before the ingested waste causes problems, but some dogs will persist and only experience problems such as diarrhea and nausea several hours later. Chicken bones are a real treat for a dog, but cooked bone fragments can easily harm the digestive tract.

Dogs that are not used to eating bones will sometimes swallow them almost whole, especially if they suspect the bone may be taken away, in which case large pieces of bone can cause gastrointestinal damage and require expensive surgery. Thus, although dogs get great pleasure from eating scraps and wandering through landfills, such pastime is dangerous for them.

What tastes does a cat have?

Do cats like sweets? Of course, the best treat for a cat is aromatic fried chicken or baked...

Do cats taste sweets? Definitely not: cats do not have sweet taste receptors, so they do not perceive sweet tastes and do not respond not only to sugar, but also to its substitutes. This feature does not cause any inconvenience to cats, because the diet of wild cats in nature does not include fruit, so cats do not need the ability to recognize sweet taste.

Independently and relatively recently, genetic mutations have caused various carnivores to be unable to taste sweet foods.

Probably because these animals ate exclusively meat, which does not taste sweet, even before the mutations first arose, over time they simply lost the ability to taste sweetness. That is why all animals of these species turn out to be absolutely indifferent to sweets and fruits.

Omnivores that chew food, on the other hand, require carbohydrates, which remain an important component of their diet. Their receptors, tuned to recognize sweet taste, remained unchanged.

READ Ear inflammation in a cat: symptoms, treatment and diagnosis

For decades, scientists have known that cats don't particularly like sweets. In 2005, researchers at the Monell Sensation Center in Philadelphia published a scientific paper showing that domestic cats have a mutation that affects their taste buds, causing them to be unable to respond to sugar molecules. The same applies to their closest relatives in the wild, including lions, tigers and jaguars.

Many people who own pet cats can't believe this is true. “When we published our data on cats, we received a lot of feedback, with pet owners saying, ‘My cat loves sweets, you’re wrong!’” says biologist Gary Beuchamp, director of the Center. — Everyone knows that cats are not averse to eating ice cream or cake, but not because of the sweet taste. It’s just that these foods contain fats and other components they need.”

Bitter

Cats have a sharply negative attitude towards this taste. Even in the lowest concentration, it is recognizable and alarming. It's in the genes of meowing pets. It is bitterness that serves as a warning about harmful, even poisonous products or objects. Moreover, there is quite a lot of really poisonous stuff in the house, especially for a small kitten, such an inquisitive and restless one - indoor plants, cheap toys, household chemicals.

Humans have long been actively using the ability of pets to avoid bitter taste for educational purposes in the form. Bitter-tasting liquids that do not irritate the skin and mucous membranes can be used even in the area of wounds, bandages and stitches, not to mention spraying furniture, fabrics, etc. With the help of such measures, the animal is weaned from sharpening its claws in the wrong places, and is stopped in the desire to lick wounds. But the bitter pill that must be fed to the animal will force the owner to be inventive.

Sour

Even the pronounced sour taste of cats is extremely attractive. Most meowing pets are very respectful of sour cream and kefir. But the owner should not forget that in large quantities sour foods are harmful to health.

Salty

The cat likes the salty taste. Some even advise adding salt to your animal’s food and drink in moderation. But it should be remembered that after salty food, the animal feels the need to drink frequently.

A group of researchers at the Monel Chemical Senses Center (USA) was looking for an answer to this rather controversial question. The conclusion was unequivocal - cats do not have sweet taste receptors, neither domestic nor wild.

A carnivorous predator, although tame, is forced to eat meat. He doesn’t particularly need sugar and carbohydrates, which means there’s no reason to have the appropriate receptors for sweets either. It turns out that the taste buds of cats, reacting to the meat and fats it contains, drive the animal’s appetite.

Some might argue, especially if their pet enjoys eating candy or ice cream. Most likely, the animal is attracted to the fat contained in these products. And he will find it easily.

Cats do not taste sweetness and do not experience any discomfort from it. By the way, in nature, sweet fruits are not included in the diet of members of the family.

These animals have special receptors with the help of which they distinguish the taste of water and clearly prefer it over other drinks. Some people choose a trickle from the tap rather than a bowl of water. However, the opposite also happens. In any case, the water should not stagnate, so it is better to change it more often.

Taste of meat

This taste has another name - broth. It's close to salty. A special umami receptor quickly recognizes glutamic acid salts in food. This is how a cat distinguishes between types of meat, fat content, and freshness of the product. These salts are found in every animal protein and are also synthesized in the body. By the way, if you add monosodium glutamate to your food, the food will become much more attractive to your cat, even if there is no meat in it. In fairness, it is worth noting that it has the same effect on humans.

Many different studies have been conducted to determine the taste of cats. There are no clear unambiguous answers. But there is certainly a connection between the preferences of a mother and her kitten. The baby will certainly choose the food that his mother cat ate, even if it is cucumbers or bananas.

What's the harm in eating sweets?

Carnivores that eat meat and fish do not need sweet taste receptors. They require protein, fats, vitamins and other substances. And if someone’s cat likes cake, then he eats it only for the fat, and, perhaps, to imitate and please his owner. Cats and cats do not feel sugar, but simply adore their owners and trust them completely. But every veterinarian will tell you about the harm the taste of chocolate brings to cats. And an excess of sugar in a cat’s body, which does not produce insulin, which breaks down this bulk product, leads to diabetes, as well as intestinal and kidney diseases, and in general, to a decrease in the body’s protective functions. Therefore, we should not risk the health of our little brothers.

Other flavors

Remember that cats tend to remember taste for a long time. When choosing food, they are guided by past experiences. Cats quickly establish a connection between the substance they consume and the consequences for the body. Therefore, after eating food that led to eating disorders, the cat will refuse it in the future.

However, a variety of tastes is very important for a cat from childhood.

Source

Reasons for the popularity of cats

A century ago, cats were bred mainly to hunt mice and rats. Now, for this purpose, a cat is taken into the house only in 10% of cases. The main reason why people now decide to adopt a kitten is the opportunity to interact with the animal.

According to statistics, the main cat lovers are pensioners over 60 years of age (43%) and single women (36%).

Most pensioners keep cats at home
. Interestingly, only 25% of cat owners preferred purebred and rare animals - in this case, when choosing an animal, cat owners are guided not only by the desire to find a friend, but also to confirm their status or start a business selling kittens.

READ Serengeti history appearance and character of the cat

Cats are indifferent to sweets because they are unable to distinguish sweet tastes • Faktrum

Pet owners tend to humanize their pets, and this is their big mistake. Domestic cats, despite their long history of living side by side with people, have not lost their special animal habits. They do everything differently, and even hear, see and taste differently than you and I.

The difference between how a person and a cat sees the world around them is obvious

Taste perception

People have 9 thousand receptors on their tongue, but cats have only 473. Our meowing friends distinguish tastes, but their palette will not be as bright as ours, without the ability to distinguish taste “halftones” (for an animal there will be several variations of hot or sour united). The only taste that a cat does not feel at all is sweet. Any sugary dessert for a cat will be tasteless.

A cat may try sweets, but not because of the taste, but because of curiosity or an interesting smell for them

They have little discernment of salty taste, so they will easily eat a very salty dish, and this is unsafe. But cats secrete bitterness better than us - this is a protective mechanism that protects the animal from possible poisoning.

Do cats sweat?

Cats have 10 times fewer sebaceous glands than humans, so they sweat very little. This is due to the fact that cats rarely run for a long time (in their nature they lie in wait for their prey, and do not catch up), moreover, the copious secretion of odorous sweat would prevent them from hunting. If cats need to lower their temperature, they try to lie on a cold surface, use changes in the frequency and depth of breathing, and wet their fur with saliva, which will increase heat transfer.

When overheated, cats can, like dogs, open their mouths and breathe rapidly.

Sphynxes are the only cats that sweat

The cat clearly reacts to certain phrases: he responds to a nickname, knows when he is called to eat or is about to be scolded. Some animals even understand commands (“place” or “fetch”). The most intelligent cats are able to remember the meaning of several dozen words (memorization occurs after 5-6 repetitions, while dogs require 12-15 repetitions).

Cats can remember the meaning of some words and commands, but they still react more to intonation, voice volume, and gestures.

Cats' memory is based on conditioned reflexes, not feelings. The pet will easily remember what resulted in the necessary conditions (delicious food, privacy, encouragement, etc.). But associative connections in the memory of cats must be built quickly: if more than 3-7 minutes have passed between cause and effect, then memorization will not occur.

If a cat is separated from her brothers, sisters, mother and her own kittens for a couple of months, then when she meets them she will not recognize them - all because in nature, family ties are not important for a cat and any other animals become competitors for resources and territory

Cats see well at a distance of 70 cm to 5.5 m. And such farsightedness is justified: a normal mouse will not fit into its mouth on its own, it must be seen from afar. What is important is that a cat is able to concentrate on a specific object; its eyes cannot “bring clarity” to a large-diameter picture.

As for hearing, it is 4 times sharper than that of a person. This is helped by the shape of the auricle and its location like an antenna - even muffled sounds are well caught in such a pointed funnel.

Many white, blue-eyed cats are born hearing impaired or deaf due to a genetic defect.

Play behavior

Games for cats are training of hunting instincts. Favorite entertainment is to track, catch, catch and fight.

Kitten games are preparation for adulthood

The tendency to be playful is largely determined by the breed. For example, Persian, Burmese and ragdoll cats are considered the calmest and most unplayful. Siamese, Abyssinians and Orientals are very active in childhood and will drive their owners crazy with their wild jumps and desire to catch and pat everything around. But most representatives of these breeds practically stop being naughty by the age of two.

Cats and water

Very few cats are calm about water, much less voluntarily agree to take a dip in the bath.

It is believed that of all the breeds, the Bengal shorthair cat is best suited to water procedures.

The cat refuses to bathe because the water pushes out the air gap between the fur and skin. This layer warms the animal, and wet wool, on the contrary, promotes rapid heat transfer. In addition, it is heavy, the cat becomes slower, which means that in case of danger it will be more difficult for it to escape from the enemy.

Let's touch on a narrow but interesting topic: how cats sense taste. For comparison: a person has 9000 taste receptors,...

Signs associated with cats

According to popular observations, cats intuitively sense change. They say that by observing the behavior of your pet, you can predict the weather, the arrival of guests, an impending illness, a change for the better or misfortune:

a cat sleeps with its belly up - to the heat;
the cat curled up into a tight ball - it will soon get colder;
the cat washes its face all day - wait for guests;

A cat washing itself means the imminent arrival of guests
a cat reaches out to a person - for a new thing;
a cat rubbing against a person’s ear means an increase in money;
The cat sneezed three times - someone in the house will get sick.

By the way, it is believed that if a cat lies on a sick person, then it cannot be driven away, since the animal takes the illness upon itself.

It is believed that a red cat in the house attracts money, a black one wards off evil spirits, a white one protects the health of its owners, and a tricolor one is responsible for peace in the family.