Have you ever tasted your cat's food?

I have... some of it, anyway. Some of it's pretty nasty, and I don't blame a cat for snubbing it! Many of the Fancy Feast types are pretty gross. No wonder my silly Meezer sometimes tries to dig around nasty food-- he scrapes the floor like he's trying to cover something awful that he left in the box. If it's really bad, he drags a few socks or pieces of paper over to cover the plate before he rejects it. He got some variety one night not long ago that warranted "three socks, a pair of underwear and a wire hanger"! Yup, he dragged ALL of that over to cover that ish!  Must have been some really FOUL stuff!

But some foods aren't that bad-tasting at all, to a human, anyway. I "sampled" some Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau flavor once. Not bad at all, for cat food. It's human grade, and it even smells really yummy. It smells so good, and is made with human grade ingredients-- sounds like the filler for a practical joke! "Sure, honey... I'll be HAPPY to make sandwiches for you and your hoodlum buddies..." *Evil little smile*

(Note... this is said as a joke, not to be taken seriously. Never adulterate someone's food.)

Of course, palatability is for the cat to decide... but it just told me that what we feed them, most of the time, hardly counts as edible. Yet they choke it down, seemingly without too much hesitation if it's a tasty food to them.

On the other hand-- some baby foods aren't much better! No wonder the kid spits most of it out!

So who here has taken the "dare" and tasted their cats' food?



~Mackie

I have, not very good no

We always buy the ones with highest percent of meat
and also we give her our leftover fish which she loooves :lol3:

No, never will.  Our taste buds are different from a felines. I'm sure what is good to them tastes awful to us as far as cat food is concerned.

I've been tempted when we had Hecate try the Fussie Cat (chicken flavors she's allergic to fish of all forms). Smells good enough to spread on crackers and serve to guests!

True, Laurie-- but I was curious to see what it tasted like to a human. For the most part-- foul! With a U. If it actually tasted like FOWL (with a W), it might not be so bad tasting to them! The human grade Tiki Cat, Fussie Cat, Weruva... etc. don't taste so bad (for human tastes). And is it mere coincidence that these brands are like crack to SO MANY cats? 

No, I don't go sampling my cat's meals on a daily basis! I'm not nearing retirement age and planning my "pension" just yet! However, Hatchytt... I have been tempted to do exactly what you described, when my man's annoying buddies come over for the afternoon!

Now baby food-- that is for humans, and while I know that a baby's taste buds are undeveloped compared to an adult's... there is no reason why "ham baby food" should taste so far removed from even "fresh ham" (or French ham). Simple and plain boiled or steamed pork butt can taste quite simple and nice. Gerber tastes like... just, ick. If I had a baby again, I would make my own baby food out of the very same (unseasoned) meats that I serve everyone else. Puree some good roasted pork or chicken or ham... pureed, steamed fresh garden vegetables... real plain roasted sweet potato... fresh mashed fruits as age appropriate... my baby would enjoy the same tastes that we older ones do, minus the spice and salt. I would want my baby to enjoy yummy things as s/he grows and explores the world of food. It prevents pickiness later!

But my Schrodie loves the Gerber ham- he ate 2 jars of the Gerber baby ham yesterday when I was coaxing him to eat. He snubbed everything else, but he devoured THAT! He won't eat Beech-Nut, only Gerber, and only the ham flavor. I tried it and thought it was disgusting! But that's cat vs. human adult!

(He ate regular Fancy Feast today-- a whole can so far, plus he "swallowed" some dry food. We're dealing with painful stomatitis and an unwillingness to eat due to the pain, not a loss of appetite. Thus, the baby food. He's got Buprenex now so he's feeling MUCH better today.)

I haven't but my son seems to really like eating the dry food. I just can't keep him away from it, he grabs it any chance he can get.

Oh my stars! This post makes my tummy hurt!!! I am the pickiest eater I know... so no, I have never tasted my cat's food.

I did eat a beggin strip once since I'm a bacon fanatic and no, it most certainly does NOT taste like bacon.

Nope, most of it is fishy smelling and I hate fish. Just feeding them grosses me out, forget actually trying it. The only one so far that has looked somewhat edible (to the point I've been tempted to taste it) is Paw Lickin' Chicken. It looks just like canned chicken!

Yeah, I've taken a pinky full of several fancy feast flavors, just out of curiosity. Can't say as I'd recommend it, however.  I am no longer curious. Harley, up there in corner, seems to go for it though.,

My husband eats Temptations along with the cats.

I tried temptations. To me it tasted like cardboard...there was no distinct taste, no saltyness/sweetness/savoryness...lol, just no taste. I wonder why both my cats go crazy for those.

Hatchytt said:

I've been tempted when we had Hecate try the Fussie Cat (chicken flavors she's allergic to fish of all forms). Smells good enough to spread on crackers and serve to guests!

Click to expand...

I discussed this with an employee at a pet store today.  She said her boss at another store had tried Fussie Cat and said that it was good, but that it needed salt!  

I accidentally tasted a supplement from Life's Abundance.  It was crunchy, but it did not taste like the peanut I thought it was!  It was not strong or objectionable in taste.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!! 

Lifelong vegetarian here. I'm not touching that stuff.

How delicate can a cat's sense of taste be anyway? I've seen them eat spiders, moths, grass and a cricket just in the past week.

Oh Dear GOD no!  Their food stinks.  But then cheese and chocolate stink too so.....

I just yesterday opened a can of Soulistic chicken and pumpkin and that stuff IS human grade, or looks like it anyway.  I thought it was going to be pate but it was shredded real chicken and little cubes of pumpkin.  So I ALMOST tried it.  I was disappointed that it had gravy, but I didn't read the label when I bought it.  This is off topic, but does anyone know of a brand that makes pate pumpkin without grain?

A big no from me. :lol3:

Yes.   Sorry for grossing you all out.   But it is what it is. 

I won't give the furkids anything I've not tasted and that includes liquid meds. It's what I've always done. And I know for a fact that Theophylline tastes rather like unsweetened maple syrup.

And cat food tastes as bad as it smells!   

My little sister used to eat the dry meow mix I would spill on the floor feeding the cats. It would make my mom so mad, but my sister loved it! I ate dog treats along with my dog when I was four years old. I remember they where teriyaki flavored jerky treats. I've never tasted cat food though ...as far as I know.

Yes, once when my cat was unwell. I put him on a special diet. Was meant to be 100% natural, so i tried it to see if it tasted right. Was just chicken breast.

LOL, y'all's answers are cracking me up! 

See the words "100% Pure Pumpkin"? This is what you want... no spices or anything else. You can mix this with your cat's current grain-free wet food-- 1/2 to 1 TEASPOON per day. You can also use sweet potato for the same purpose. But as always, if your pet has a health condition or food allergy, discuss any changes to your pet's diet or care routine with your veterinarian first... 

EDIT: Since this is such a small amount out of a can, I like to scoop the rest into a clean ice cube tray and freeze it. Then I pop out a cube as needed and defrost it in a covered container in the fridge. That way, I don't waste a whole can if I'm not going to use it right away for baking.

You can also just scrub (but don't peel) a sweet potato if you are using that instead of pumpkin. Wrap it in foil and roast it in a 350-375 degree F. oven (~180 deg. C) until it's soft. Remove from the oven,, let it cool enough to handle, then peel the skin off. It should just peel off with your fingers... but the tater will be sugary and maybe sticky (but YUM, that's good syrup!). You're warned! Hash it up, serve (cooled) mixed in the wet food like pumpkin, and save the rest in ice cube trays or a covered container. You can also use an acorn or butternut squash in the same way. Being related to pumpkin, the result is similar. You use it the same way. And it's much easier to manage in an oven than a larger pumpkin. Be sure to remove the stringy innards, skin and stems and serve only the nice yellow, roasted "flesh" if you choose to lovingly prepare such a dainty morsel for your precious feline. 

~Mackie

Nope and never will. As long as they enjoy their food, I'm good!