Usually, cats will have the flehmen reaction when sniffing urine or feces from another cat, since these substances contain pheromones. The scents may also be lingering on furniture and even on you.
We've all seen it, the moment that your cat has been sniffing something incredibly interesting (such as a sock) where they raise their head afterwards and their mouth is wide open, as though in shock. It turns out that “stinky face” or the flehmen response to use the scientific term, is a cat's way of analysing scent.
Although it may appear that your cat is staring in open-mouthed disbelief, there's actually a reason he pulls this funny face: Your cat is analyzing a new or strange smell—but instead of doing so through the nostrils, he is “scent-sucking” through the roof of his mouth. This is called the flehmen response.
The cat opens their mouth to allow scent to reach the vomeronasal organ (called the Jacobsen Organ) in the roof of their mouth. That organ provides more information about certain scents than smelling them through the nasal passages alone.
Cats are particularly attracted to bleach.
It smells very similar to chlorine. Its characteristic odor is like that of animal pee. When the cat perceives this smell, it feels threatened and feels the need to mark the territory. This is the case with all substances containing sodium hypochlorite.
Your cat has something called a Jacobson's organ, or vomeronasal organ, located in the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. When your cat makes this strange face, it is because he has smelled something interesting and is drawing the scent into the Jacobson's organ to get a better smell.
This sniff can help a cat determine if this will be a friendly encounter… or not. Cats use their sense of smell to help them understand and assess their environment so much so that it makes sense for them to seek the same information from humans with the same butt or crotch sniff… even if we hate it.
However, from this research, we can conclude that overall, cats are comforted by their owner's presence, but did not appear to get much reassurance from something that smells like their owner, at least during a brief stressful situation. Behnke, A. C., Vitale, K. R., & Udell, M. A. (2021).
Yes, it's possible that cats can sense pregnancy even before you have early pregnancy signs. This is due to their excellent and refined sense of smell.
Yes, you read that right: A recent study revealed that getting your pet's attention is as simple as speaking with a high-pitched tone and extended vowels, just like how you'd communicate with a human baby. Additionally, the study suggested that your cat can actually tell you apart from strangers.
“If they want to interact they will most likely approach you and engage in social behavior after sniffing you, such as rubbing on you or trying to sit with you.” She adds that if they don't want to interact, they'll usually walk away or ignore you, in which case it's best to let them have their space.
“When a cat displays the Flehman response, she's basically analyzing a particular scent,” she says. “It's used primarily for analyzing pheromones from other cats, especially the ones found in urine, but a cat will use it for other interesting scents that require more thorough investigation, too.”
Cats have the power to sense their owner's emotions. So, cats have the ability to feel whenever their owner is sad. Beyond sadness, domestic cats are also able to feel whenever their owner has switched moods and emotions.
People who should avoid close contact with cats include: Very young children. Pregnant women.
Dr. Barrack points out that changes at home will always have an effect on a dog. “Your dog is smart enough to pick up on these changes during pregnancy, both in a physical way — which is how your body will be changing, your stomach, your smell — and in an emotional way, such as your feelings and your mood,” she says.
Fifty-Four Percent of cats recognized their owners by sight alone, as cats do not recognize human faces. In essence, we appear identical. It is believed that cats view people as fellow felines, contributing to this belief. Cats are slightly disturbed by our stature and question our clumsiness.
Catnip and More.
Many herbs we use in cooking are safe and fun for cats to sniff, and some are known to be feline favorites. Catnip, part of the mint family, affects many cats with a scent-induced kitty “high.” Silver vine has a similar effect. And valerian can energize cats.
Studies have shown that cats can recognise their owners, even after they've been apart from them for an extended period of time, but they don't rely on sight to identify us.
You might know about your cat's anal glands, but they also have scent glands all over their body. When they rub up against you, they are often marking you as their territory in a typical cat behavior known as allorubbing.
Some kitty lovers call this a 'love bite', others call it petting aggression. It's a controversial subject but it's believed that if your cat suddenly bites you for no apparent reason, it could be because they are being overstimulated by the constant stroking - which you thought they were enjoying!
In a research made by Nottingham Trent University, the findings show that cats are able to determine when their humans are anxious or stressed.
Raising the butt is your cat's way of getting their anal glands closer to your nose so you can get a whiff of their pheromones. This is how cats introduce themselves to other cats. It is simply their way of saying “oh, hey. It's me.”
While some cats enjoy being kissed, others will not. Some will feel love, while others will not see kissing as a sign of affection. There are better ways than kissing to show a cat affection that they will understand. Cats are mysterious pets with distinct personalities.
So, why do cats do this? “Stinky face” is actually called the flehmen response (or flehmen grimace) and is a cat's way of analyzing an unfamiliar scent, most often in the form of pheromones.
PetMD also points out that cats are territorial creatures. They claim their turf by marking it with their scent. So when they sleep on top of you, they're actually marking you—and your bed—as theirs. We should be flattered by this behavior, apparently.