Acceptability of flavoured pharmaceutically non-active mini-tablets in pet cats tested with a rapid 3-portal acceptance test with and without food

•The palatability of synthetically flavoured mini-tablets in cats was investigated.•3-portal acceptance tests were carried out on 10–19 pet cats in their homes.•The mini-tablets were not accepted voluntarily without food by most of the cats.•Amino acids were not palatable to cats, which did not support the earlier studies.•Most of the cats ate the mini-tablets concealed inside a palatable food item.