If your clients complain that their feline pets are picky eaters, there may be a good reason for their behavior. At least, that's what a new study suggests.  

Researchers from the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition and the University of Sydney in Australia found that cats can learn about the nutrient content of their food over time and then select foods to reach a target composition, overriding flavor.

The study was published June 15 in Royal Society Open Science.

The researchers offered cats foods with various ratios of fat and protein flavored with fish, rabbit, or orange. When first presented with the foods, the cats showed a preference based on flavor.

However, over time, as the cats learned about the nutrient composition, they selected foods to reach a target ratio of protein and fat, regardless of flavor. 

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