A new study from the University of California, Davis, suggests that domestic cats may defy a common animal behavior trend: working for their food. While many species prefer to “contrafreeload”—earning their meals through effort—cats, it seems, would rather take the easy route.
In the experiment, researchers presented 17 cats with a choice: solve a food puzzle to access their meal or eat directly from an open tray. Over 10 trials, the majority of cats consistently opted for the tray, consuming far more food from it than from the puzzle.
This finding contrasts with behavior observed in birds, rodents, primates, and even giraffes, which often prefer working for food when given the option.
“Out of all these species, cats seem to be the only ones that showed no strong tendency to contrafreeload,” said lead author Mikel Delgado, a cat behaviorist and researcher at UC Davis.
Not Just Laziness—But Practicality
The study doesn’t mean cats won’t work for food at all—after all, they hunt in the wild. All participating cats had previously used food puzzles and eaten from them before the experiment. But when given a choice, most seemed to think, Why work harder when food is right here?
Four cats did show some contrafreeloading behavior, but they still ate most of the available food, regardless of the source. The researchers noted that hunger may have overridden any instinct to work for their meals.
Why Do Cats Prefer the Easy Option?
Possible explanations include the cats being spayed/neutered and fully domesticated, potentially reducing their drive to “hunt” for food. Delgado also suggested that the puzzles may not have fully engaged their natural predatory instincts.
Food Puzzles Still Have Benefits
Despite the findings, Delgado emphasizes that food puzzles remain valuable for feline enrichment. Her 2019 research showed they provide mental and physical stimulation—but owners should introduce them properly.
“When starting with a food puzzle, make it easy at first so the cat doesn’t get frustrated,” Delgado advised. “But it should still be challenging enough to offer stimulation.”
So while cats might skip the extra effort when given a choice, keeping them engaged with puzzles could still be a smart move for their well-being.
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