Palatability refers to observations of the taste, smell, and texture of a food. This is an important dietary trait because animals must be willing to eat acceptable amounts of food to meet their daily calorie and nutrient needs. Unpalatable foods will be vetoed, regardless of the quality of their ingredients or the balance of important nutrients. Dogs and cats vary somewhat in the dietary characteristics they consider necessary. Cats are strongly moved by the aroma of a food and will cautiously smell a new food before trying it. Dogs often crave foods that are high in fat and contain animal-based protein. For both dogs and cats, the texture, size and shape of food pieces are essential; scientists who study palatability talk about “mouthfeel.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Finally, in addition to animals' sensory tastes, scientists who study palatability also believe in the animal's environment and the owner's responses to different types and flavors. of food. Similar to digestibility, pet food manufacturers evaluate the palatability of a food in several ways. Tests that measure a pet's favorite when initially presented with a new food provide information about the instant appeal of the food's smell, appearance, and texture. Long-term interest is measured using food preference studies. Each dog or cat is offered a choice of two diets presented in indistinguishable bowls on the left and right. Excess food is presented in each bowl and bowl positions are reversed daily to accommodate dogs or cats with right or left sided preferences. The amount of each food consumed at each meal is measured over a period of several days. These tests provide information on a food's suitability for dogs and cats over time and its relative palatability when combined with other foods. And finally, the ultimate palatability test involves feeding the food to pets in homes, where the pet's and owner's perceptions of the food are measured..