Cat Sniffing Behavior

A cat's sense of smell is far more acute than that of a human. Like dogs, cats rely on their noses to tell friend from foe, find mates and learn more about their world.

  1. Geography

    • When cats rub against an object or scratch it with their claws, they leave their scent on it. The feline sense of smell is strong enough that other cats will recognize the scent when they sniff the object. By marking objects with their scent, cats lay claim to a particular territory in a way that other cats can recognize through their sense of smell.

    Identification

    • Sniffing behavior in cats is important not only to define their territory but to recognize others as well. When cats sniff one another, their keen sense of smell detects scents unique to the other cat. These scents help cats recognize each other, in much the same way that you know a friend by the shape of his face. If you take a cat to the vet, other cats may treat it as a stranger for a while after its return because it smells different than it did before.

    Features

    • When cats sniff an unfamiliar object or another cat, they sometimes wrinkle their nose and raise their lips as if they were grimacing. This behavior is called the Flehmen response. By breathing in air, the cat captures more of the scent molecules through a sac located in the roof of the mouth. This structure is called the vomeronasal organ and can help the cat detect trace scents.