Do animals only eat to survive, or can they eat to satisfy their

>>8352065
Some do some dont depending on their level of nervous system and on availability of delicious fruit.
I guess they are just very, very hungry when they do that.

I'd say this is more of an /an/ question, but have you never owned a dog?

You basically "abuse" their natural instinct to feed by rewarding them treats as a way to train them. They definitely eat like they're voracious animals, but they also understand that it's not meat out of pure hunger/desperation. Dolphins also have sex for pleasure.

fuck biggie cheese

File: Snail-strawberry.jpg (161KB, 728x545px) Image search: [Google]

161KB, 728x545px

Every animal I've owned have had preferences in their food. Both favourite foods on an individual basis and refusal to eat the same food too many days in a row. I'd say my pickiest eaters have been guineapigs and snails, believe it or not.
It makes sense though, the more variety, the likelier it is to get all required nutrients. So I'd assume all animals capable of smell or taste eat to satisfy their palate to the extent they're able to.
Of course there's a big difference with animals in captivity and animals who have to eat what they can to survive. The first can afford to become picky.
Also take into consideration many animals have much more sophisticated sense of smell compared to us, so they'd likely be able to appreciate all the hidden subtleties of a freshly caught fish or rotting carcass on the savannah.

shrimp eat algae > fish eat shrimp > penguins eat fish > Sea lion eats penguin > Orca eats sea lion > Japanese eat orcas..

yet they are still some of the skinniest people with no muscles whatsoever what gives ?

>>8352365
They don't eat enough, also genetics

>>8352238
I honestly just give my dog some cheese slices sometimes because he seems to really like the flavor.

>>8352429
I give my dog chocolate, but recently he started to not like it anymore I think, maybe it's just because he got sick?

>>8352449
Cheese isn't poisonous to dogs though.

>>8352351
Guinea pigs are non-social autistic little fuckers, and snails are just snails. I can believe it.

And don't underestimate human smell. Sure a lot of mammals are better at it than us, but we don't actually rank that badly in the entire animal kingdom. It's just that smell is a very subconscious sense and people tend to disregard its importance, even though anyone who loses it because of some health reason will tell you it's hell.

The human palate is the result of evolutionary pressure to create a desire for the myriad nutrients our body needs. Anything beyond that is conscious choice.

>>8352449
Don't give your dog chocolate
Google it

>>8352486
That's a very limited understanding of evolution. Most things evolve for more than one reason. Sometimes things evolve even though there isn't a real reason.

>>8352490
That's true, but I think my generalization is still pretty valid in this case.

>>8352065
Odd question given how much monkeys, raccoons, squirrels, etc. love to get drunk.

>>8352489
it was bait

>>8352065
I know that dogs don't give a fuck about taste, it's all about smell to them.

That's why dog food is drenched in putrescine, the dog's owner can't smell it but it shouts "FOOD" to a dog's brain

Almost all animal get the concept of "treat", be it sugary or something else, so I would say to some extent.

But I don't think they give a fuck when it comes to basic nutrition.

>>8352585
>I know that dogs don't give a fuck about taste, it's all about smell to them.
Bullshit, my dog was all excited by a strawberry, he begged and begged, he was given one, and as soon as it landed in it's mouth it was spat out on the floor and he just sat there staring at it.

The flavor clearly matters to some extent.

>>8352429
Doggos go crazy for cheese

>>8352429
My dog is fucking nuts for ice cubes.
Fucker learned how to operate the ice machine on the fridge and would spend all day eating that shit if the machine wasn't set to water.

>>8352365
>>8352422
Japan ranks fairly low in meat consumed per capita.