Most cats use visual cues to learn the location of food

Cat sniffing sea air
Cat sniffing sea air. Photo: Alan on Flickr.
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In a study conducted at Lincoln University, UK it was found that: ‘most cats used the visual cue to learn the location of the food’ (by ‘cats’ she means the domestic cat – felis silvestris catus). The participating cats had a choice: use your nose or your sight and 4 out 6 used their sight. Because it wasn’t 6 out of 6 the researchers concluded that although there is a preference to use sight to locate food, the choice is a personal trait. They say that if a individual cat favours the sense of smell, olfactory stimuli in the home will have a greater impact on that cat. This should assist us with cat welfare, they state.

The researchers also concluded that cats can use their nose instead of their eyes if they have to (i.e. no visual cues).

I don’t understand how the test was conducted but I’d like to comment on the findings. I don’t think this study is useful for the following reasons, but I may have missed something.

A domestic cat does not have to locate his food if it is provided by his caretaker which is what happens 99% of the time. For outdoor cats, who hunt, food is prey. Because prey is small (mouse) and initially out of range of the cat’s sense of smell (or it is not downwind), he locates it with eyesight; detecting movement. A cat’s eyes are geared to spotting movement and seeing in gloomy conditions. This practical observation appears to undermine the study results but I am probably missing the point.

In addition, the cat’s sense of hearing (auditory senses) is also important in locating prey, more so than the cat’s olfactory senses, I’d suggest. Domestic cats will detect the sound of his classic prey, the mouse, and pinpoint the source extremely accurately when the prey item is beyond the ability of the nose to pick up odour. Sound is perhaps ahead of smell but behind sight in locating food.

In my experience cats most often use their sense of smell to help ascertain what an object is – whether it is edible or not for instance. But this is close-up work. The nose is up against an object.

The study appears to fail to take into account the concept of range (distance) and its impact on detecting objects. Eyesight is a long and close range tool. Detecting smell is often, but not always, close range. Therefore it seems we cannot directly compare the two without reference to distance in respect of a specific task such a locating food.

The most common use of smell is to pick up territorial markers (urine spraying). The cat’s nose can deduce how long the urine has been there and therefore the likely location of the cat who deposited it.

The lead researcher was Evy Mayes who works at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The research was carried out as part of her masters degree into feline behavior and welfare.

I sense (gut feel, not one of my senses!) that she’d have done better if she had been more practical. Perhaps I have misunderstood the study.

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6 thoughts on “Most cats use visual cues to learn the location of food”

  1. There are too many unknown variables to come to this conclusion.

    In my recent research I read that “free feeding” causes the digestive system to work overtime because the cat continues to smell food. This can create health issues like diabetes and other problems, like weight gain.

    I have stopped free feeding since learning this. And free feeding involves dry food, which I know now is not healthy. As I learn more about cat nutrition, I change the way I’ve done things in the past, even if it takes time to make the transition.

    My last vet pushed a big bag of Royal Canin dry high response food on me, even though I said I didn’t want it. I put a small amount in a plastic container because I figured I might have to wean my cat, since they’d been feeding her this for a week. The bag went into my outdoor shed.

    When I opened the container to sprinkle a little on the wet food I was putting out, my cat went on high alert, running to where the container was. She could smell it! (She was addicted!) This wasn’t a familiar container, so it wasn’t out of habit.

    If a cat’s outside, they will look for movement, rather than smelling for food. If indoors, smell might be their initial clue. Or it could also be
    the “sound” of a can opening.

    I used to feed a few feral cats in my garage. I had to use my keys to get in, and the cats came running to the “sound” of the keys. They had made an association with keys and food. So association is a also factor. I could just jiggle the keys to get them to come.

    Reply
    • too many unknown variables to come to this conclusion

      I think this is a good statement. The study is too clean and it simplifies something that can’t be simplified like this. I had not heard about cats continuing to smell food and therefore overeat.

      If a cat’s outside, they will look for movement, rather than smelling for food. If indoors, smell might be their initial clue. Or it could also be the “sound” of a can opening

      I agree this too. Once again it proves that there are too many variables such that the study becomes rather pointless at least for me.

      Reply
  2. I agree with the study that concludes that the sight of food is more prevalent in locating it than smell. At least, that’s true here.

    Most anything in my hands is perceived as food with my brood, and they are relentless until I convince them that they don’t want what I have. I, usually, wind up setting whatever I have on the floor so all can sniff. Sometimes, I really do have food but not the kind they want. But, everyone’s nose goes into my salad, pickled cucumbers (those cause sneezing), etc. I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t mind consuming cat saliva or snot. LOL!

    Reply
    • Seems that for yours, sight is the first sense and then smell to check it out – close range check. Sound also might play a bigger role than we think. The sound of you as you prepare the food etc..

      Reply
  3. OOzy sticks his nose straight up in the air and sniffs. He gets really confused when he finds me eating a bowl of cereal and milk or some hot oatmeal. He thinks the world revolves around him and all food consumed should smell like cat food.

    Reply

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