Cats appear to have a taste for human bodies, according to a new study from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
The Colorado Mesa University’s Forensic Investigation Research Station, which has its own “body farm” to study the effects of decomposition on the human body, had previously observed that cats were climbing a three-metre high wire-topped fence to wander among the bodies.
But in 2017, a student noticed that the felines were also stopping for a bite to eat.
The scientists were fascinated – namely because cats are predators, not scavengers. Two cats were observed chowing down on bodies that were in early stages of decomposition – and kept eating even as the bodies decomposed further.
Interestingly, while there were also more than 40 corpses to choose from (a human buffet?), each feline returned to the same corpse – in one case, for 35 nights in a row.
Of course, that’s no reason to worry that your fluffy friend has homicidal tendencies – rather, it seems to mean that they’re just practical – and perhaps a little fussy.
“Cats are, like, picky eaters. Once they find a food that they like, they’ll stick with it,” said student Sara Garcia, the lead author on the paper.
So, should you keel over, you’ve been warned: ‘Kitty’ may mourn you – or take it as a cue for a smorgasbord.
