One thing is certain: Cats lack a gene that enable them to taste sweetness. Here are other neat facts.

By Karen Commings

When it comes or hearing or seeing, a cat’s ability outshines that of its human caregiver. A cat’s sense of taste, however, is less refined than that of human beings, dogs or other mammals, such as pigs. The ability to taste is determined by receptors on the tongue (taste buds) and in the mouth and pharynx. Taste buds, more properly known as called papillae, are raised projections that come in four types: filiform, fungiform, falciform and foliate. Filiform papillae detect the texture of food rather than its taste but contribute to an animal’s acceptance or rejection of foods depending on how appealing the texture is. Cats have approximately 470 taste…

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