Study: Cats not keen on working for their food

People aren’t the only species that enjoy being catered to.

A new study shows domestic cats prefer to eat from a tray of exposed food rather than work their way through a simple puzzle to access their meal, contrary to the behavior of most species.

It’s a phenomenon called “contrafreeloading,” meaning when given a choice, an animal will choose food that requires effort over food that appears to be readily available. Several species living in sanctuaries, zoos, laboratories and homes can be observed doing it, including chimpanzees, chickens, pigeons, grizzly bears, wolves, rats, giraffes and pigs.

Cats seem to be the exception, which may not surprise many owners of leisurely felines.

The study was published July 26 in the journal SpringerLink.

“It wasn’t that cats never used the food puzzle, but cats ate more food from the tray, spent more time at the tray and made more first choices to approach and eat from the tray rather than the puzzle,” study lead author Mikel Delgado, a cat behaviorist and research affiliate at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement.

The team studied 17 indoor pet cats by placing a food puzzle and a tray of food sideby-side, noting which option the cat preferred over 10 trials that lasted 30 minutes.

The findings are particularly interesting for cat owners who invest in food puzzles for their pets. Studies have shown that putting in extra effort to eat can help with weight management, mental stimulation and behavioral improvement.

But owners may want to reconsider their next purchase, or at least save the receipt.