Does your cat touch food with his/her paw before eating it?

Strangely, my cat does this, but only people food ie cooked chicken. This would infer he comprehends that I am heating it til it gets hot. He doesn't paw kitty treats, dry food, or his canned food, or people food prepared away from the stove (ie yogurt). So he's touching to test it for heat. As a kitten, I placed his paw on a warm (not hot) burner, to keep him away (it worked). (No fears, he wasn't burned!)

Is it possible he's this smart, or is this a common cat behavior? He is smart: I just asked him if he wanted to sleep next to mommy, and he jumped from where he'd been curled up to the sofa and snuggled right up to me. Cats are amazing.

I've never thought about why he might, but my cat touches cooked meat with his paw, too. And only cooked meat.

My cat pokes his food with his paw and then throws it out of his dish before he eats it. It doesn't matter if it's dry or wet food. He just likes to eat it off the floor, I guess.

My cats used to do this as well and with most things if watched them carefully, they tested everything very carefully first. Then again, one in particular would also then toss it around to hunt it first before it eating it as well.

This might help:
"Bowl probers sometimes paw their food and water bowls before they drink. The reason: it’s following the pattern of 'wild cat ancestors who need to test the water to make sure it is safe,' says Moore. Cats’ paw pads constitute one of their most sensitive areas so, “Pawing the food or water helps some indoor cats check for any possible ‘dangers’ lurking in the food or water bowl."

Read more: Weird Cat Behaviors Explained Weird Cat Behaviors Explained

All of mine do this with cooked food. I always assumed they were checking the temp before biting into it.

My cats do this too, I assumed they were making sure it's "dead"/playing with it like they would a real/fake mouse, bug, etc. I don't put people food in a dish, usually it is placed on the floor in the first place. Mine girl cat will do this with a piece of cheese I give her (obviously not "hot"). I think they are just trying to explore it, see which side is up, etc. as well as temp.

Cats are funny...but smart!! I see mine is in good company!!!

I had a cat who would sometimes pick up his dry food with his mouth, drop it in the water dish, stir it around with his paw, and then pick it up with his paw and put it in his mouth! I figured he was a raccoon in a past life, maybe? (He was always stealing things like my jewelry and running off with it, too!)

Elsewhere, we had a cat who did this too! We swore he was part 'coon.