Kitten Tries To Eat Sweets?

[SamIAmWich]

I have a 4 month old male Bombay kitten and he seems to like sweets?
I had another cat before him and that cat used to want to smell what I ate but if it was sweet he would pull back and look at me like I disrespected his entire existence with this surgery treat. But Cole (my Bombay) tried to eat a sugar cookie I let him sniff.
Googled it, and somewhere said it may be the other ingredients in the cookie, but thus far I have caught him attempting to eat lemon cake, pecan pie, a little wafer cookie, and red velvet cake. If I have sweets I have to be extra alert with him around, because for some reason he comes after those so much harder than if I have any other food.
And his food bowl is always full, so it's not a question of that... I'm just concerned. This is by far the oddest pet I have had in my life (and the cutest).

 

[Columbine]

Hi SamIAmWich Welcome to TCS!

Cats actually can't taste sweet, so its very odd that Cole is so obsessed with sweet foods It's good that you're being so vigilant with him, as deserts or sweets really aren't good for cats. It must be something else in the sweets that he likes. Everything you mention is very starchy, and I have had cats who love bread and other carbs (two of my childhood cats would break into and nibble on loaves of bread if they could get to them), and my current girl goes crazy for poppadoms! The semi feral barn cat I care for used to steal horse feed in the winter too, and that's often molasses coated (though in her case it was because she wasn't being fed).

If he's fed a primarily kibble diet, it may be that he's got used to eating starchier foods, so that may be at least part of an explanation for you.

 

[ccfalkner]

Yes, Kibble is almost always over 30% carbs. A cat needs maximum 20%, the less the better. A human takes about 4 hours to process carbs. A cat takes 2 weeks. That is why many end up with diabetes. In fact craving sugar is a sign of diabetes. I feed my cat kibble, but it is Orijin. Expensive, but I don't have to spend the time with canned food, plus it makes her very autonomous. I just let her graze.

I started my previous cat with a science-diet basic, but kept improving mixes and brands over the years. I found the better the quality, the less they ate. I assume they eat less because they get the nutrients they need from less.

The original Orijin has 17-20% carbs. There is a new fish variety that looks like 10% carbs. Haven't verified this, but just bought a bag. My cat is about to finish up her first bag and go onto the fish one. She used to be on Blue Buffalo Wilderness because I thought that was within the specs they needed, but I couldn't find real data about it. They tend to hide that information. I finally found their best formula is at 25-27% carbs. That is when I looked for and found Orijin. In the end, it is expensive, but I don't know the cost compared to canned (never bought canned) I am thinking I will make up the cost in less medical bills and a longer living happier cat.

 

[Sonatine]

Cats can't taste sweet, but it's possible he just likes the smell of them. Cats have a poor sense of taste in general but a wonderful sense of smell, so much of the enjoyment they get out of eating comes from smelling their meal.

And sometimes they have weird tastes. My kitty generally is very wary of human food; she wants to sniff it, but won't actually try to taste it. Yesterday, however, she discovered granola, and proceeded to search the floor for granola crumbs like a dog. I was grateful for the cleanup help, but I wish she'd have chosen something healthier to like!

 

[ArchyCat]

Could it be the oil and dairy products (milk, cream, and butter) used in the sweets? I know my cats will eat buttered toast. Plain toast? Nope.