Many human foods contribute nothing to feline nutrition and health - and some foods may actually be harmful. As your cat goes about deciding which foods it likes, it weighs several factors. The odor, taste, and feel of a food in the mouth seem important . Cats will often choose foods with lots of meat, a powerful aroma, a high fat content, a combination of soft and crispy textures, and a temperature of about 98 degrees. This is about the temperature of fresh killed mammals.
Cats also prefer variety in their diets.
If they have a choice between two equally palatable foods, one familiar and the other unfamiliar, most will eat more of the new stuff - at least for a few days. Eventually, of course, the new stuff becomes as mundane as the old stuff. This feline preference for novel foods probably explains why so many types of cat food on supermarket shelves. But this infamous dietary pickiness may be more fabled than real. Most cats eat heartily even with only one item on their menu - unless they are ill.