I own rats, cats, ferrets, a dog, birds, fish, various reptiles and
amphibians, a rabbit, and possibly even some animals I can't recall at this
moment.  As for them desiring certain foods as compared to others, I think
almost all of them do.  Those with food bowls will pick out the types of
food they like the best before they eat the others.  My birds pick out the
sunflower seeds, my ferrets pick out the raisins (I give only a few if it's
been a couple of days since they've had treats) and Marshall's over the
Science Diet, my dog eats cat food instead of his food if he can get to cat
food (he seems finally unable to locate it now that it's on top of the
bathroom counter!), my cats prefer wet food to dry food and treats or
kittymalt to everything, my fish prefer flakes to tubifex, etc.  and so on.
In some cases, I think it may just be the texture of the food.  Perhaps fish
just find it easier to eat flakes than blocks of worm-thingies.  But Bailey
and Tristan, the ferrets, will leave their food dish behind to go across the
room and steal ice cream from my dish if I leave the room for, say, 3/10 of
a second!  My rats (anyone need pet rats?  -- we have a huge litter of
babies in the Indianapolis area -- great _free_ pets!!) will eat everything,
including cardboard in some instances, to avoid eating their rat pellets
(the only thing fortified specifically for them, of course).  Except
cauliflower -- of my two female mothers, Monica loves it, Phoebe throws it
out the side of the cage!
 
I'm a scientist (or at least in training) and I know the dangers of
anthropomorphy, as I've worked with elephants and know that "But she wanted
me to pet her..." often leads to broken this and that bones.  "But he wanted
me to pet him..." led me once to allow Ernie the giraffe to pull my hat from
my head, eat it, after which he paid me no attention whatsoever!!!  From
then on, however, Ernie always greeted me when I went into the giraffe barn.
We can only ignore so much of the fun cosmic entertainment of lower animals.
I agree that we cannot allow "unscience" to rule our lives, we cannot assume
everything an animal does can be described in terms of interpersonal
feelings.  Why, though, are we so quick to allow science to rule us.  What's
wrong with me knowing that Ernie just liked my hat, that my dog licks my
face because he loves me sometimes, not always because he's trying to show
me he's hungry, with a bowl full of food.  I know when Tristan claws at the
cage door, he wants out of the cage.  I know when he follows me around the
room, he's interested in some way in what I am doing.  I know my parents
love me when they tell me to be careful driving home, even though they don't
expressly tell me that.  I know science as an insider, I do strong research
using the scientific method.  I know science, though, is a wee bit full of
itself from time to time.  Most of all, I know I am babbling, and I think
I've made my point.  Thanks for listening, and feed your ferrets those
treats.  Science cannot deny the influence of the raisin.
 
Tim and
Bailey (I prefer Sun-Maid to generic, buddy)
Tristan (Doesn't the dog notice that linatone tastes like oil!!!!!)
and the rest of the gang
[Posted in FML issue 1550]