Palatability refers to the observation of the taste, smell and texture of a food. It is an important dietary trait because pets must be willing to eat acceptable amounts of food to meet their daily calorie and nutrient needs. Unpalatable foods will be vetoed, regardless of the quality of their ingredients or the balance of important nutrients. Dogs and cats vary slightly in the dietary characteristics they deem necessary. Cats are strongly moved by the aroma of a food and cautiously smell a new food before tasting it. Dogs often crave foods that are high in fat and animal-based proteins. For both dogs and cats, the texture, size and shape of food pieces are vital; scientists who study palatability call it "mouthfeel." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Finally, in addition to animals' sensory preferences, scientists who study palatability also believe in the animal's environment and the owner's responses to different types and flavors of food. Similar to digestibility, there are several ways that pet food companies evaluate the palatability of a food. Tests that measure an animal's preference when initially presented with a new food provide information on the immediate attractiveness of the food's odor, appearance, and texture. Long-term interest is measured using food preference studies. Each dog or cat is offered the choice between two diets presented in indistinguishable bowls on the left and right. Excess food is presented in each bowl, and bowl positions are swapped daily to account for dogs or cats with right- or left-side preferences. The amount of each food consumed at each meal is measured over a period of several days. These tests provide information on the suitability of a food for dogs and cats over time and on its relative palatability when combined with other foods. And finally, the final palatability test involves administering the food to pets in homes, where both the pet's and the owner's perception of the food are measured..