Cats tend to prefer wet food warmed to body temperature
#0061 Animals & plants
Fact rank
A
A study (primary) confirmed that cats over 7 preferred warmer food; the text is limited to that scope. The same study measured how aroma compounds change with temperature
Wow rank
A
A surprising extra step for canned or pouched food that many serve straight from the fridge
Usefulness
S
Easy to try with a cat that has lost its appetite or an older cat
Verification: Supported by evidence
AI verification reports the evidence it found; it does not guarantee that a claim is true.
Cats tend to prefer wet food warmed to about body temperature (around 37°C) over food served cold from the fridge. This has been shown in a study of cats aged over 7.
Why
Warming changes the aroma compounds the food gives off, and cats are thought to decide whether to eat more by smell than by taste. Another idea is that 37°C is close to a cat's body temperature (38–39°C), the temperature of freshly caught prey.Evidence
Primary Abstract of Eyre et al. (2022, Journal of Veterinary Behavior), "Aging cats prefer warm food". Cats over 7 years old offered the same wet food (chunks in gravy) at 6, 21 and 37°C in two-bowl tests significantly preferred the warmer food in every pair (6°C < 21°C < 37°C), with 37°C most preferred. Gravy viscosity was almost unchanged, but 11 of 15 classes of aroma compounds changed with temperature link
Secondary Summary of the same study by the US Feline Veterinary Medical Association. 37°C is approximately the temperature at which cats would eat fresh prey, and heating wet food to near body temperature is an easy step link
Primary Royal Canin (pet food maker). For cats, aroma matters more than taste. Warming food releases more of the compounds behind its smell, so warm it to about 37–38°C with hot water or a microwave. Dry food can be softened with water at about 40°C link
Secondary PDSA, a UK veterinary charity. A cat's normal body temperature is 38–39°C link
Notes and limits
The study used 32 cats (average age 11) at a research facility and a single food. Whether the same holds for younger cats or other food types has not been tested. The "temperature of prey" explanation is a hypothesis, not something the study tested. Microwaving can leave hot spots inside, so stir well and check with a finger that it is not too hot (on how microwaves heat, see #0043). If a cat's appetite stays poor, consult a vet.
Derivations
Derived from: 猫がおなかを見せて転がっても触ってほしいとは限らない
Derived facts: —