QuickCheck: Is it true that cats can't taste sugar?

CATS can jump to six times their length, squeeze through impossible tight spaces and are amazing hunters. They need a high-protein diet, and love meat and often fish.

But is it true that they can’t taste sugar?

Verdict:

TRUE

Yes, cats are believed to be one of the few mammals who don’t taste sweetness.

Cat owners might notice their pets "enjoying" the occasional sweet treats, like cake, ice cream or even fruits, but scientists believe that the cats are relishing the texture or the fat content, not the sweetness.

The ability to taste sweetness comes from coupled proteins generated by two genes: Tas1r2 and Tas1r3. Cats can't taste sweetness because they lack 247 base pairs of the amino acids that make up the DNA of the Tas1r2 gene.

References:

1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-cats-cannot-taste-sweets/

2. https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/can-cats-taste-sugar

3. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/carnivores-lack-taste-sweets

4. https://www.npr.org/2005/07/25/4766556/cats-cant-taste-sweetness-study-finds