Cheese is a widely enjoyed human food, but its appeal and biological suitability for animals differ significantly from common belief. Determining which animals like cheese involves distinguishing between a preference for high-calorie nutrients and the physiological ability to digest dairy. Many mammals evolved to consume milk only during infancy, leading to biological limitations in adulthood that complicate their relationship with cheese. Examining the diet of various species reveals a complex interaction between taste, nutritional necessity, and survival opportunism.
Rodents: Debunking the Classic Stereotype
The image of a mouse nibbling on a wedge of cheese is a persistent cultural trope, largely perpetuated by visual media and folklore. This stereotype likely originated in the Middle Ages, when cheese was one of the few readily available foods stored on open shelves, making it an easy target for opportunistic rodents. Grains, which rodents prefer, were typically kept in secure containers, making cheese the most visible evidence of an infestation.
Rodents like mice and rats often do not prefer cheese and may even be deterred by its strong odor. Their highly sensitive sense of smell finds the pungent aroma of many cheeses off-putting compared to other available sources of nutrition. Studies indicate that these small omnivores are naturally drawn to foods high in sugar and carbohydrates, such as fruits, grains, and seeds. Sweet and fatty foods like peanut butter or chocolate are significantly more effective baits for trapping rodents than cheese.
Domesticated Animals: Taste vs. Tolerance
For pets, the appeal of cheese is often high, but their tolerance for it is limited by their biology. Many dogs and cats are intensely attracted to cheese due to its high fat and protein content, concentrated sources of the macronutrients their bodies crave. They have a hedonic preference for fat, meaning they are biologically wired to find fatty foods palatable.
The main biological limitation is lactose intolerance, a common condition in adult mammals. After being weaned, the production of the enzyme lactase, necessary to break down milk sugar, decreases significantly or stops entirely. When a pet consumes cheese, the undigested lactose moves to the large intestine, where it ferments, resulting in gastrointestinal distress like diarrhea, cramping, and gas. Hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan or Cheddar are better tolerated in small amounts because the aging process naturally breaks down most of the lactose.
Wildlife: The Attraction of High-Calorie Foods
For opportunistic wild animals, cheese is attractive not for its dairy content, but because it represents a dense source of energy. Species such as raccoons, foxes, and bears are omnivores that prioritize maximizing caloric intake, especially when preparing for winter or in resource-scarce urban environments. Cheese is a high-fat, high-calorie food that offers a substantial energy reward for minimal foraging effort.
Raccoons are known to exploit human food waste, which often includes discarded, calorie-dense items like cheese. Urban raccoons consuming a diet high in fat and sugar from human sources have been observed to have elevated body mass and higher blood glucose levels. Their willingness to consume cheese is a display of their adaptive, opportunistic feeding strategy, driven by the immediate need for concentrated energy and fat reserves.