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T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) Remove "gearbox.maem" to get real address - that one is dead
> Recent research shows that cats can't taste sweet.
Somehow I am not surprised to hear that. They don't jump for
lollipops, you'll notice. The only sweet things that cats crave are
usually loaded with milk, and *that* is what attracts them, not the
sweet taste. Try putting honey on your finger and you'll see. Pure
sugar, no milk, no dice. Macaroni & cheese, real milk in it, no sugar,
devouring lion behaviour. Not that I am recommending a regular diet of
mac&cheese, but just making the point.
There *is* something, by the way, in the taste of antifreeze that
attracts cats, but it is not sugar or any type of sugar compound, it is
ethylene glycol. Well, there is a very, very, distant connection with
sugar, but not that the taste buds would notice. I think we have
historically said it tastes sweet to the cat to imply that the taste
attracts them, but not that it is actually sweet, as in, containing
sugar.
And, to echo the earlier response, you do not need to increase or
modify your cats drinking behaviour, on the whole, when their own
metabolism tells them exactly when they need to drink. You just need
to have clean fresh water available 24/7. If you started adding stuff
to the water, you could end up screwing up their thirst mechanism so
that they will not, in future, recognize the symptoms of dehydration
and respond knee-jerk-wise by going for water or wet food. Best leave
well enough alone, I say.
--tension
Mad Dog - 11 Sep 2006 08:54 GMT
|| Ted Davis wrote:
||| Recent research shows that cats can't taste sweet.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
|| of dehydration and respond knee-jerk-wise by going for water or wet
|| food. Best leave well enough alone, I say.
One of my Cats goes mad for ice cream she can smell it a mile away I don't
give her any though, but she gets to lick the bowl.

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"A horse a horse my kingdom for a horse, I haven't had a winner in six
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MD
|| --tension
Andrea - 14 Sep 2006 07:40 GMT
for the most part, I agree, cats will drink when they need to. However,
some do seem to keep it on the edge... meaning that they really could and
should take a little more than they do. Especially older cats. This can be
alleviated by giving wet food at least once daily.
I encourage my cat to more opportunities to drink by making it fun for him.
He likes to drink out of the running bathroom faucet every morning and every
evening. He totally digs it and is crushed if I look like I'm not going to
cooperate :-) I always do, though!
>> Recent research shows that cats can't taste sweet.
>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> --tension