Do Cats Have a Good Sense of Smell?

It's well-known that many dog breeds pick up scents very easily, but when it comes to our feline friends, there's not so much general knowledge. So, do cats have a good sense of smell? Let's find out!

Touching cat's nose

Do Cats Have a Good Sense of Smell?

Cats have a fantastic sense of smell, in fact, their sense of smell is 14 times better than ours. For starters, our feline friends have as many as 200 million odor sensors, compared to us lowly humans who have a measly 5 million.

Something else that aids their smelling ability is a special organ. Cats possess a vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson's organ, located inside the nasal cavity and leading to the roof of their mouth. This organ allows them to detect specific chemicals that actually have no odor at all. By opening their mouths and curling their upper lip, cats can push the scent into their mouths and use Jacobson's organ to get the information they require.

Why Smells Are So Important to Cats

Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell for various aspects of their lives:

Marking Their Territory

Cats use scent when marking their territory. They do this via spraying and also by rubbing up against us humans, and our furniture and possessions. Both methods are to warn other cats that these areas/people/things are theirs. Cats usually spray outside - if your cat is spraying inside your home, it's usually a sign that they're stressed by a change in the household such as a new baby, or building work. If you have any concerns, it's best to get professional advice from your vet.

Communicating

Cats also use scent as a form of communication with other cats. Through sniffing each other, they're able to figure out whether they've met each other before, and learn a great deal more about each other. First they'll sniff each others faces and possibly gently bump heads, and if they're satisfied so far and want to learn more, next they'll aim their nose at their new friend's rear end!

Hunting and Staying Safe from Predators

Cats are natural-born hunters, and their sense of smell plays a vital role in being able to hunt prey, as well as keeping them safe from predators. Cats pick up the scent of potential prey and use it to track their movements, and determine their proximity - they can also do the same with predators, so they know to escape to safety.

What Smells Do Cats Like and Not Like?

There's a variety of smells that cats particularly like and that they also really dislike, and these can vary between individual cats.

Of course, the smell of their favorite human has got to top the list of favorite smells! Catnip and catmint are also usually popular, as are olives!

When it comes to scents cats don't like, citrus often tops the list, perhaps because citrus fruits and artificial citrus scents have a pretty strong, sharp smell. They also tend to dislike various other scents, including vinegar, bananas, lavender, and ground coffee.

So, cats do have a good sense of smell - in fact, they have a truly remarkable one, which adds yet another purrfectly fascinating dimension to their already intriguing nature. Perhaps cats are plotting a global takeover after all! Shop all Inkopious cat clothing and gifts to show off your love for your feline friends.