The importance of aroma: how your cat shapes

When it comes to aroma, we often think of how important it is for dogs, but most people do not consider their importance for cats. Like dogs, the sense of a cat smell is very important in his daily life, which influences everything, from his sense of security to his curiosity.

The meaning of a cat smell

Do you ever wonder what makes the meaning of a cat smell so powerful? Cats not only have about 200 million olfactory cells in the nose, but also have special adaptations that make their sense of smell exceptional.

• The organ of Jacobson: This organ is made up of 2 bags that sit at the top of the back of the mouth. It is connected to both the nose and the mouth. When a cat breathes an aroma, open its mouth slightly to pull the aroma and move its tongue to the roof of its mouth. This sends the aroma to the organ of Jacobson where the aroma and information are sent to your brain.

• Flehman reaction: We have all seen cats lift an aroma and sit there partially open while processing the aroma. What we are observing is known as Flehman’s reaction. During the reaction, what we could not notice is that the cat breathes quickly, which accelerates the aroma process that is sent to the Jacobson organ. This allows the cat to quickly identify the aroma and respond according to their instincts.

The pheromones speak

In the world of a cat, they use pheromones to communicate everything, from marking their territory to forming mother and kitten ties and even marking their humans. Maybe he wonders, what is exactly a pheromone? A pheromone is a chemist that is released by a cat through the glands located throughout his body and helps communicate with other cats and the environment in which they live.

• Cats have glands on the forehead, chin, lips and lower part of their front legs that produce pheromones. When a cat touched your head, rub your cheek, press your lips against your finger or knead you, you are leaving your aroma behind. This is his way of marking you as part of his group.

• You can notice a cat rubbing the head and body along the objects of your home or patio. This is how they marks those areas as their territory, and the pheromones that leave behind communicate this to other cats. Similarly, when a cat scratches objects such as furniture or a scraper, it is not only preparing its claws, but also marks the area with its aroma.

How can the enriching smell?

Not only can the smell of communication be used, but it can also provide mental enrichment for a cat, especially those who live inside. It is always important to provide daily enrichment for your cats, but you may not have considered the enrichment of smell. Here are some ideas to incorporate the aroma into your cat’s enrichment routine:

• Catnip: Most people have offered their cat grass, but they never realized that it is enrichment. Instead of placing the cat grass in front of your cat, you can hide the cat grass in areas of the whole house so that your cat will find it, which can be exciting and stimulating for your cat.

• Smell enrichment kit: You can buy an aroma enrichment kit that is full of safe botanists for your cat to enjoy. By placing a small amount of a few types in bowls, you can offer your cat a smell enrichment buffet.

• Bring outdoors inside: Collect plants, sticks, grass, flowers and safe cats for cats and put it in a shallow cardboard box for your cat to explore. Each element not only has its own aroma, but the aroma of the outdoors adds an additional impulse of stimulation.

Understanding how the meaning of a cat’s smell works can help us take care of them better and provide an environment that stimulates their natural instincts. Incorporating aroma enrichment in your cat’s routine can offer new levels of mental stimulation and joy. By taking advantage of the power of the aroma, you can improve your cat’s quality of life and strengthen the link you share with them.