Cats' Sweet Tooth Gone

[frostyone]

New research indicates genetic mutation leaves felines unable to taste sugar.

Sweet compounds, including sugars and artificial sweeteners, are recognized by a special taste bud receptor composed of the products of two genes. The authors found that in cats, one of these genes is not functional and is not expressed. (It is called a pseudogene.) Because the sweet receptor cannot be formed, the cat cannot taste sweet stimuli.

Other than this sweet blindness, the cat's sense of taste is normal.
( If you call raw mouse normal) :)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401107.html
http://genetics.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003

[Mouse]

Please refrain from editorializing. ;)

Thank you.

[Tess]

I must have a couple that missed that, the two females would much rather have ANYTHING chocolate so much so I cant leave anything around, and they bug like crazy, they definitely arent interested in MOUSE. lol

[frostyone]

Chocolate mousse, maybe?
mmm...mousse. :)

[Mouse]

I love mousses to pieces. :D

[prarie]

I must have a couple that missed that, the two females would much rather have ANYTHING chocolate so much so I cant leave anything around, and they bug like crazy, they definitely arent interested in MOUSE. lol


Chocolate is dangerous for cats.

http://www.pawsandpets.com/chocolate.html

http://spoiledkitty.faithweb.com/diet.html

http://www.worldclassgsd.com/Pet_Disease_Allergies/Chocolate_Toxicity.htm

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/holiday-hazards.html

http://www.petco.com/pet_care_article.asp?webt=0&tab=2&categoryID=4&pettype=2&articleID=190


Cat Articles

Dangerous Foods

You may not think it, given that she is a creature that -- in the wild -- survives by eating disease-carrying rodents like rats and mice, but your cat actually has a very delicate and sensitive metabolic system. That means that you have to be very careful about what she eats. While it is difficult to resist those pleading eyes as you drink a glass of milk or eat a piece of steak, you must. Contrary to popular opinion, cats do not always know what is good for them. And while your cat would hesitate to eat a piece of tainted meat because of the smell, there are several dangerous foods that she will eat quite readily.

Most of these foods are not life threatening -- with the exception of chocolate -- but they can all cause serious problems to your cat's good health.

Deadly Foods

Chocolate - Theobromine, a substance present in chocolate and cocoa, is poisonous to animals. It diminishes the blood flow to the brain and can cause heart attacks and a variety of other life-threatening problems. An important rule to remember is that the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.

The approximate toxic dose for an average cat is:

* Milk chocolate - 4 to 10 ounces of milk chocolate (each square is one ounce)
* Dark chocolate - 1/2 to 1 ounce of baking chocolate (one square or less)

If your cat ingests this amount, it could be deadly if not treated in time. If you know your cat has eaten the chocolate in the last two hours, induce vomiting. If your cat vomits, then the situation merely requires veterinary attention and is not life- threatening anymore. If your cat does not vomit, then the situation is critical and your pet requires immediate veterinary attention.

* Symptoms of chocolate ingestion are as follows: excessive drooling
* excessive urination
* pupil dilation
* rapid heartbeat
* vomiting
* diarrhea
* hyperactivity
* muscle tremors
* seizures
* coma

Fortunately, most cats are not so attached to chocolate that they will eat it in large quantities. Many cats, however, will eat enough if curious, bored, or encouraged to do so because their well-meaning owners, especially the younger members of the family, believe that they are giving their pet a treat. It is best to keep chocolate out of the reach of children and their pets.

[Cat person]

No problems here, if it's not labeled "Whiskas" my cat won't touch it.

[Tess]

Chocolate is dangerous for cats.

http://www.pawsandpets.com/chocolate.html

http://spoiledkitty.faithweb.com/diet.html

http://www.worldclassgsd.com/Pet_Disease_Allergies/Chocolate_Toxicity.htm

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/holiday-hazards.html

http://www.petco.com/pet_care_article.asp?webt=0&tab=2&categoryID=4&pettype=2&articleID=190


Cat Articles

Dangerous Foods

You may not think it, given that she is a creature that -- in the wild -- survives by eating disease-carrying rodents like rats and mice, but your cat actually has a very delicate and sensitive metabolic system. That means that you have to be very careful about what she eats. While it is difficult to resist those pleading eyes as you drink a glass of milk or eat a piece of steak, you must. Contrary to popular opinion, cats do not always know what is good for them. And while your cat would hesitate to eat a piece of tainted meat because of the smell, there are several dangerous foods that she will eat quite readily.

Most of these foods are not life threatening -- with the exception of chocolate -- but they can all cause serious problems to your cat's good health.

Deadly Foods

Chocolate - Theobromine, a substance present in chocolate and cocoa, is poisonous to animals. It diminishes the blood flow to the brain and can cause heart attacks and a variety of other life-threatening problems. An important rule to remember is that the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains.

The approximate toxic dose for an average cat is:

* Milk chocolate - 4 to 10 ounces of milk chocolate (each square is one ounce)
* Dark chocolate - 1/2 to 1 ounce of baking chocolate (one square or less)

If your cat ingests this amount, it could be deadly if not treated in time. If you know your cat has eaten the chocolate in the last two hours, induce vomiting. If your cat vomits, then the situation merely requires veterinary attention and is not life- threatening anymore. If your cat does not vomit, then the situation is critical and your pet requires immediate veterinary attention.

* Symptoms of chocolate ingestion are as follows: excessive drooling
* excessive urination
* pupil dilation
* rapid heartbeat
* vomiting
* diarrhea
* hyperactivity
* muscle tremors
* seizures
* coma

Fortunately, most cats are not so attached to chocolate that they will eat it in large quantities. Many cats, however, will eat enough if curious, bored, or encouraged to do so because their well-meaning owners, especially the younger members of the family, believe that they are giving their pet a treat. It is best to keep chocolate out of the reach of children and their pets.

Oh I know it's dangerous, hence the not leaving anything around, for the sneaky little devils. :) I try to keep them all exclusively to cat food products.

Good read though, and thanks for posting.