Felines Crave Mushrooms

Hold the canned tuna please.  A Colorado mushroom hunter found her cat noshing on cooked (hold the raw) mushrooms.

The scientific explanation? NPR reports that the amino acid glutamate is responsible for umami (or savory) flavor, which attracts cats. It turns out that cats, tigers, and other felines can't taste sugar because they lack a functional gene for sweetness, so they are attracted to savory flavors.

Still, veterinarians warn not to start feeding your animals mushrooms because they can be poisonous. Although, with this tidbit of information, perhaps cats can help us forage the next batch of fungi.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.