SHANGHAI — Research published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed a feline preference for more savory and fatty flavors. The study analyzed flavor compounds in a series of chicken liver-based sprays, showing that cats enjoyed sprays which contained more free amino acids.

Cats are known to utilize a more acute sense of smell than humans do and are more sensitive to umami (savory) flavors. They also can’t taste sweet flavors.

Researchers Yuyan Wei of the Shanghai Institute of Technology, Ling Xie of the Shanghai Institute of Technology, Bertrand Muhoza of Northeast Agricultural University, Qian Liu of the Shanghai Institute of Technology, and Shiqing Song of the Shanghai Institute of Technology put together a panel of 10 adult cats to evaluate food sprays featuring different flavor compounds. The team developed four food sprays from homogenized and heat-treated chicken livers. They broke down proteins in the liver paste to varying degrees using enzymes.

To conduct the taste test, the researchers coated cat food with chicken fat and then sprayed it with one of the four chicken liver attractants. The cats were offered samples with the new attractants, in addition to food treated with a commercially available attractant.

According to the study, the cats preferred food sprayed with attractants that contained proteins that were further broken down by enzymes and contained more free amino acids. Foods that had more mushroom and fatty flavors were preferred over the sweeter and acidic flavors.

Learn more about the study here.

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