We all know that cats are clean animals. They groom themselves several times a day and they always seem to look immaculate. But have you ever wondered why they smell so good?
Humans are hardwired to respond positively to the scent of cat pheromones. Every object that a cat rubs against (including humans) is marked with a signature pheromone, cat owners are surrounded by this appealing scent. Studies even show this scent reduces stress and promotes relaxation in humans.
So, when you catch a whiff of your cat’s scent, you’re actually smelling a combination of their unique individual odor and these pheromones, and you’re innately built to love this scent. The science and activities behind this are fascinating – here’s a quick summary of how it works.
Grooming, The Secret Sauce to a Good Smelling Cat
While pheromones are mostly responsible for a cat’s smell, your cat’s nearly endless grooming behavior plays an important role as well.
Regular grooming removes dirt, dust, and other debris from their fur. It also helps keep their coat healthy and free of mats and tangles. All of which removes competing scents from the pheromones, letting that lovable odor shine.
Cats spend a ridiculous amount of time grooming themselves and other cats. Your little fur baby can spend 30-50% of their waking hours grooming themselves!
It’s easy to view this behavior as just keeping clean, but it’s multi-purpose – playing a big part in letting their pheromones break through and making their human friends fall even more deeply in love with them, through scent.
Cat’s Tongues Are Unique
Cats groom themselves with their tongue, which is roughened with small hooks called papillae. These hooks help to remove dirt and debris from the fur as well as stimulate the skin to produce oils that keep the coat healthy and looking shiny.
In addition to keeping their fur clean and healthy, grooming also helps to keep their fur scent-neutral.
Long before cats were domesticated, they were hunters. Indoor and outdoor cats alike still consider view themselves as hunters.
So remaining scent-neutral is critical to avoiding real or imagined predators or, conversely, tipping off their prey if they are hunting.
What Are Cat Pheromones and What Do They Do?
Cats have scent glands in their skin that produce special pheromones. These pheromones are like a cat’s natural perfume, and this explains why some people find their cat’s scent to be comforting and even intoxicating.
The location of their pheromones also happens to be in the same spots your cat likes to be rubbed, like their forehead, chin, and around their ears. But more on this in a second.
Your cat uses its sense of smell to bond with you. Cats have a very strong sense of smell, which is estimated to be about 14 times stronger than ours.
This allows them to pick up on subtle changes in their environment and to communicate with other cats through scent-marking. So while your cat may only smell good when you are very close and snuggling with them, other cats and animals can smell these scents from much further away.
Their pheromones help by marking people, objects, and other cats as safe, or signal important parts of their world.
So when your cat rubs against you or purrs in your presence, they’re marking you as part of its territory – saying “this human is mine, other animals stay away.”
About Your Cats Glands
So where are all these pheromones coming from anyway? Cats have nine glands that produce pheromones, the scents, that are used for communication.
They’re all over a cat’s body. Below are a few of the major glands that have a significant impact on how your cat smells:
– Pinna Glands: These are located on the outside of the cat’s ear flaps and release a light oil that also makes the cat’s ears very soft.
– Temporal Glands: Present on your cat’s forehead, these glands are located perfectly for a nice ‘ole head rubbing. The pheromones from your cat’s facial glands can contain up to 40 different chemicals, which is remarkable. A sort of feline perfume au natural.
– Interdigital Glands: Have you ever smelled your cat’s paws? Is that weird to admit if you have? Well if you have, you may have noticed that they smell like Fritos. Yes, those Fritos. The interdigital glands are located on all four cat paws and are known to give off a rather strong corn chip scent.
– Anal Glands: This one seems like an obvious one right? It’s reasonable to expect any animal’s anal glands to have a scent. Present on the sides of your cat’s rectum, these glands oftentimes do not smell very good, no surprise, but are important as they work as an identifier for other cats.
How Can You Encourage Your Cat To Mark You?
If you want to encourage your cat to mark you with its scent, try offering catnip (raw or toy) or a scratching post. You can also try spraying a cat pheromone spray in areas where you would like your cat to spend more time.
Just make sure to use natural pheromones if you go this route. While cat pheromones may smell good to us, synthetic pheromones can be harmful to our cats and interfere with your cat’s ability to communicate with other cats via scent.
This can lead to increased aggression and territorial behavior in your cat.
Should You Worry If Your Cat Stops Rubbing Against You?
If your cat starts to avoid you or stops rubbing against you, it could be a sign that something is wrong. If this happens, take your cat to the vet to rule out any medical causes. If there is no medical reason for your cat’s change in behavior, it may just need some time to adjust to a new person or animal in the home.
A cat that rubs against you and leaves a trail of pheromones in the process is a sure sign of a happy cat. But if this behavior changes and medical causes are eliminated, simply give your cat some space and time.
Pheromones and Human Evolution: The Reasons Your Cat Smells Good
Your cat’s sense of smell is incredibly powerful and plays a major role in its day-to-day life. Pheromones, a driving force of their scent production, help them feel comfortable and safe in their homes, and it also serves as a warning to other animals that this is their territory.
And humans, through the course of evolution and a strong relationship with felines have grown to love this smell.
Pheromones are important to their communication skills, and a critical piece of why humans love their scents. So be sure to give them a good head rub the next time they purr in your presence. They’ll love you for it (and may even mark you as part of their territory)!