# Why are cats such whores for dairy products? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281 "2006-02-06T19:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/41 "2006-02-08T00:15:15Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Such is their mania for piscine fare that one would think it was the main diet of their ancestors. Actually, I’m not sure this is a profitable line of reasoning. Consider human ancestry, and then decide for yourself which of the following foodstuffs is more likely to make you salivate in anticipation: 1. A Snickers bar. 2. Squirming termites pried out of a log with a stick. 😉 Presumably, if _Australopithecus africanus_ had available to him vast thundering herds of caramel beasts with yummy nougat centers, he would have preferred them to the soft-bodied bugs with the crunchy heads and the slight acidic tang. Indeed, he would no doubt have hunted them to extinction. Hey, wait a minute… … Anyway, point is, what a creature’s forefathers ate may or may not have anything to do with what said creature eats now. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/42 "2006-02-08T00:21:57Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > And quite gleefully, too. Ours are always licking their asses in public. Plus they have bad breath. Why would you want to share your food with a cat? They shouldn’t have bad breath. You might want to have your vet look at their teeth. If their teeth are OK, consider a different flavor or brand of cat food. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/43 "2006-02-08T00:34:38Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > what a creature’s forefathers ate may or may not have anything to do with what said creature eats now. This is very true. However, humans do have a genetic attraction to sweet flavors (that cats, being unable to taste sweet, can’t have). So the Snickers thing makes sense. Also, human breastmilk is sweet. So do cats have a genetic attraction to milkfat or fish flavorings? And does cat milk taste like cheddar and/or fish? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/44 "2006-02-08T03:18:42Z")
I have a cat that probably wouldn’t give tuna a second glance, but will happily [sip lemonade from your glass](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Guinastasia/Kitties/buffylemonade.jpg) if you let her. Another eats any human food she can get her little paws on, but won’t touch dry cat food and is very picky about what kind of canned food she’ll eat. Cats are weird. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/45 "2006-02-08T03:31:52Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > To cat people, that’s a perfectly reasonable scenario. 😃 Well, just in case you want to know what you’re [dealing with…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357770) stay tuned. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/46 "2006-02-08T04:27:43Z")
To all the “cringers” out there about sharing with kitty: You’ve eaten worse. MUCH worse. Trust me on this one. /has worked at many a restraunt. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/47 "2006-02-08T16:01:00Z")
> [@Interrobang!?](#): > > Milk. Ice cream. Sour cream. Cheese. Every cat I’ve owned has been interested in as much of any of these dairy products as they could eat. > Thankfully, most of my cats have been lactose tolerant, or my fits of kindness would end in big stink. > However, given that so many cats are lactose intolerant, why do they as a species love dairy products so much? Is it just the fat content – in which case, why so gonzo for my skim milk? Or is there something more to dairy that brings out the raspy feline tongues? [\*\* Why are cats such devilish animals? \*\*](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357565)😉 Because the have sold their soul to the Devil for Milk, Ice Cream, Sour Cream, Cheese, and/or Yogurt! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/48 "2006-02-08T16:08:32Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > WRT cats and fish however – the thing I find odd about their innate attraction to fish is that, given the choice, every cat I’ve ever met will take fish over absolutely anything else, and in particular will take tuna or salmon over other fish. Which is particularly funny if you’ve ever **seen** a whole tunafish. Whenever I see tuna flavoured cat food on the shelves, I always giggle at the mental image of a cat swimming 1000 miles into the ocean and single handedly bringing down a 1000lb+ fish before dragging it back home to deposit on it’s masters door. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/49 "2006-02-08T16:09:53Z")
On that note, why is there no mouse or rat flavoured cat food? ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/50 "2006-02-08T18:07:40Z")
The now ascended Feline Overlord loved the water from the tuna can, but not the tuna itself. It also adored anything meat/dairy, and as a general principle would beg when he saw us with something or try to eat whatever was left out in the open. This led to mom banning the Overlord to the porch whenever she had to cook, and the rest of us having to find increasingly creative ways of keeping food out of reach. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/51 "2006-02-08T18:38:17Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > On that note, why is there no mouse or rat flavoured cat food? The cats aren’t the ones buying it, their humans are. And in most of the countries where they sell the food, people are squeamish about eating mice or rats. It’s also probably easier and cheaper to come by meat and fish that are commonly eaten by humans than it is to get large quantities of mice and rats. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/52 "2006-02-08T19:07:11Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > On that note, why is there no mouse or rat flavoured cat food? And why is there no crotch flavored dog food? They seem to like licking that area. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/53 "2006-02-08T19:16:22Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Ever seen a cat swiping at fish in a fish tank? That instinct did’t just evolve last week. I’ve just about seen it in action for real. Growing up I lived on a canal that had plenty of mullet in it. My pet cat would go out on the seawall during the early morning high tide, and often come back with a fresh fish still flapping in his mouth. Quite a feat, considering that a mullet was a third his size. I’d go out with his morning packet of Tender Vittles and he’d be on the back deck halfway through a fresh fish. I never caught him in the act, but he had to have something in his head that let him snare a live fish out of the water. He’d definitely sit on that wall until he got lucky or until the tide went down. He also found a way to tear off every collar we ever gave him, had a hankering for Libby’s pear nectar, on hot days would lie down in dirty puddles (panting like a dog), and hunted joggers for sport. Amazing that we never got sued on the last one. In retrospect, I suspect he might not have been the most domesticated cat on the block. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/54 "2006-02-08T19:20:52Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > The cats aren’t the ones buying it, their humans are. And in most of the countries where they sell the food, people are squeamish about eating mice or rats. I sense an entrepreneurial opportunity: Artisan cat food. Introducing Twitch, canned food for cats who want to live on the wild side. Comes in Mouse, Vole, Songbird, Rabbit, and Koi. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/55 "2006-02-08T19:31:55Z")
We had one cat who hated fish and milk, and one who was a diary product whore. Interestingly, the one who hated fish and milk went berzerk whenever my older sister put that protein coating stuff on her nails to make them harder. He would smell it, jump on her lap and grab her hand, sniffing it in like he was doing a line of coke. We thought it was funny, but my sister didn’t. Neither of them were particularly interested in catnip. What is it in catnip that makes some cats go crazy? ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281/56 "2006-02-08T23:19:45Z")
My cat (miss-miss) won’t eat anything except her dry food in her dish. This could be Purina (When I’m rich) to Dollar Store cheapest. No tuna, milk, chicken, NOTHING! She does like her num-nums (Fancy Feast) but it’s still dried food. Haven’t offered her any coffee though. 🙂 Keep you posted! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cats-such-whores-for-dairy-products/343281.md?page=2)