How to raise an orphaned kitten baby
Kittenbaby.com

Baby Kitten Home

NORTH TEXAS
CAT RESCUE



New Baby Kitten
First Things to Do
First Aid
Kitten Poop
When Do Eyes Open
Bottle-feeding

Baby Kitten Handling
Bowel Movement
Cleaning Kittens
Socialize Kitty

Baby Kitten Basics
Litter Box Training
Litter Box Problems
Kitten Housing
Cat Behavior
Calculate Cat's Age
Weaning

Kitten Diseases
Dehydration
Injuries
Sneezing
Diseases
Parasites
Rabies
Eye Infections
Poisonous Plants

Kitten's Future
Why Spay/Neuter
Kitten Vaccines
Cat Declawing

Kitten Articles
Cat Health
Kitten Food
Behavior
Myths
Healthy Kitten Diet
Kitten Care

Kitten Corner
Cute Kitten Videos
Kitten Pictures
Adopt a Kitten
Kitten Resources
Kitten Blog

Resources:
Kitten Links
Squirrel-Rescue
Wildlife Rescue
Puppy Education

Apr 25, 2007

Why cats have no sweet tooth

Unlike most mammals, cats—both domestic and wild—are indifferent to sweets. In a new study, researchers say they have learned why.

The taste buds of mammals bear complexes of molecules designed for sensing specific flavors, called receptors. “Sweet” receptors consist of two protein molecules hooked together, said Joseph Brand, senior author of the study and associate director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Penn.

Brand and his co-researchers said cats don’t produce one of the proteins, because the gene that codes for its production doesn’t work in cats.

The gene probably lost its functionality because it has no use given the felines’ carnivorous behavior, the researchers said.

“We took a behavioral question and answered it molecularly,” Brand said.

Cats can’t recognize any carbohydrates, a class of substances that includes sugars, according to Brand. They therefore eat a meat-and-fat only diet similar to the “Atkins” diet popular in the United States.

The findings raise key evolutionary questions, Brand noted. One is “when and why did cats lose the ability to taste sweet things?” Another is a chicken-and-egg question: “Which came first, the carnivorous behavior or the inability to taste sweets?”

Brand added, “I said jokingly, no wonder cats are cranky—not only do they have to hunt for their food, but they also can’t enjoy a sweet dessert!”

The study is published in the July 25 issue of the research journal PLoS Genetics.

 


 

 

 

Finding the right Kitten - Kitten or Cat? - Adopt a Cat for Life - Kitten Development - Kitten Age - Kitten Formula Recipe - Kitten Diet - Kitten Tips - Potty the Kitten - Kitten Hydration - Rehydrate the Kitten - Conjunctivitis - Runny Eyes - Eye Infections - Eye Discharge - Third Eyelid - Feline Infectious Diseases - (FIV) - (FeLV) - (FIP) - Feline Aids - Feline Leukemia - Rabies Vaccine - Feline Herpes Virus - Feline Distemper - Kitten Health Dangers - Kitten Ilnesses - Kitten Diseases - Preventative Care - Spaying and Neutering - Fixing - How to play with your Kitten - Kitten Toys - Kitten Bonding - Coccidial Infections (Coccidia) - Giardia - Cryptosporidium - Toxoplasmosis - Roundworms - Hookworms - Tapeworms - Pinworms - Whipworms - Fleas - Ticks - Ear mites - Injuries - Sneezing - Poisonous Plants - Cute Kitten Videos


Webdesign and Photos by SmilingPages.com
in Support of the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue
- Privacy Policy