A new study from the University of California, Davis, suggests that domestic cats may defy a common animal behavior trend: unlike many species, they’d rather take the easy route when it comes to mealtime.
In the experiment, researchers presented 17 cats with a choice—work for their food by solving a puzzle or eat it directly from a tray. Over 10 trials, the cats overwhelmingly chose the tray, consuming far more food from it than the puzzle.
While this might seem like simple laziness, the findings actually challenge a well-documented phenomenon in animal behavior called contrafreeloading—where most species prefer to work for their food, even when a free option is available.
“Most animals, including birds, rodents, wolves, primates, and even giraffes, show a tendency to contrafreeload,” said lead author Mikel Delgado, a cat behaviorist and researcher at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “What’s surprising is that cats seem to be the exception.”
The study doesn’t mean cats won’t work for food—after all, they hunt in the wild. All participating cats had previously used food puzzles and eaten from them. But when given a choice, most opted for convenience, as if thinking, Why work when the food’s right here?
Four cats did show some contrafreeloading behavior, but even they ate mostly from the tray, suggesting hunger may override any instinct to “earn” their meal.
Researchers speculate that domestication or the nature of the puzzles—which may not fully mimic hunting—could explain cats’ disinterest. Still, Delgado emphasizes that food puzzles remain valuable for feline enrichment.
Her past research shows puzzles provide mental and physical stimulation. The key, she says, is balancing challenge and accessibility: “Start easy so cats don’t get frustrated, but make sure it’s engaging enough to be worthwhile.”
So while cats might skip the extra effort when they can, keeping them active—on their terms—is still the smart move for pet owners.
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