Like people, cats have taste receptors for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, and a fifth taste, umami. Their sweet receptors are pretty insensitive (which is why cats aren’t big sugar cravers). But it turns out their receptors for umami — responsible for the savory flavors of foods like meat — are quite sensitive. No surprise, since cats need flesh food to survive.
Now scientists have discovered why cats particularly love tuna. They report in the journal Chemical Senses that feline umami receptors bind to two chemicals found in high concentrations in tuna. Furthermore, they bind in a way that uses a chemical sequencing different from the one in people, serving to enhance the flavor effect. That’s why, while people may like tuna, cats go especially crazy for it.
