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Post by ZandraJoi on Nov 11, 2023 20:08:18 GMT -5
www.barkandwhiskers.com/2023-11-11-why-most-cats-go-crazy-over-tunaStory at-a-glance Most cats enjoy fish, especially tuna, which has always been a bit of a mystery, since today's domestic kitties evolved from desert dwelling wildcats Cats' taste buds have receptors that detect umami — the savory, deep flavor of meat; now U.K. researchers have discovered that feline taste receptors are also uniquely tuned to the molecules histidine (an amino acid) and inosine monophosphate (a nucleotide) found in high concentrations in tuna Desert wildcats dine primarily on mice, rats, birds, and reptiles that eat insects, so according to at least one expert, it's conceivable the insects contain amino acids and nucleotides similar to those found in tuna, thereby closing the desert-dwelling-but-tuna-loving loop In terms of feeding tuna to cats, while it offers a wealth of nutrients, it's also contaminated with toxic pollutants including flame retardants, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Wild-caught Alaskan salmon or sardines are safer alternatives to tuna, as they offer plenty of omega-3's with a much lower risk of toxins My notes: Anybody else ever wonder why cats gravitate towards tuna when it's not a normal part of their diet? I guess, according to this article, it's due to the amino acide histidine & a nucleotide that they can detect. I would never have guessed that!
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Post by Bob on Nov 14, 2023 19:59:17 GMT -5
I did not know that lol Explains a lot.
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Post by lammchen on Nov 15, 2023 19:59:19 GMT -5
That's really interesting! My cat was always more into ham and when she wouldn't eat anything else toward the end of her life, she still loved her ham
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Post by ZandraJoi on Nov 17, 2023 20:40:43 GMT -5
I did not know that lol Explains a lot. I thought it was quite fascinating myself lol That's really interesting! My cat was always more into ham and when she wouldn't eat anything else toward the end of her life, she still loved her ham My cat would only eat tuna juice towards the end. It helped keep her nourished for a bit anyways.
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