Why Do Cats Smell Your Mouth

If you’ve noticed that your cat enjoys trying to get close to your mouth and trying to smell your mouth and you’re puzzled as to why cats like to smell their owners’ mouths, simply continue reading to discover the science behind your cat’s seemingly strange behavior.

Why do cats smell your mouth?

1. Cats primary sense is their smelling

While most humans primary sense is their sight, cats primary sense is smelling items, which include humans. In fact, most cats identify their owners by their owners’ scent, so it makes sense that most cats enjoy smelling their owner’s mouths as their owner’s mouths will give off a strong unique smell, which their cat will associate with them.

So cats are thought to smell their owner’s mouths as they comforted by the unique smell of their owner’s breath. So if you get back from work and find that your cat climbs up on your lap and tries to smell your mouth and saliva you should be flattered as your cat obviously missed you and wants to feel comforted by being in your presence. Make your gardens look more beautiful by making Pavers And Turf.

2. Cats can smell what their owners have eaten in the last few hours

Another reason why many cats enjoy smelling human mouths is that cats can actually smell a human’s saliva and be able to recognize exactly what they have eaten in the past couple of hours. If your cat is feeling peckish there is a high chance that they will try and smell the mouths of any humans in your house to see if they’ve recently eaten any food.

If your cat then recognizes that the individual who they are smelling has eaten one of their favorite foods your cat may try and cozy up to the individual in question in the hopes that they may have more of the food which they’ve recently eaten, to share with your hungry feline.

3. Cats are drawn to both warmth and moisture

Did you know that cats are drawn to and comforted to warmth and moisture. As the saliva inside your mouth is warm, it then makes sense that your cat will find smelling your mouth a pleasant, comforting experience.

4. Your cat may be trying to gain a sense of your general health

Some vets believe that cats try and smell humans mouths as human saliva smells different to cats when humans are healthy as opposed to when humans are sick with a cold. Such vets put forward the idea that when a cat smells their owner’s mouth, they are in fact trying to see if their owner is healthy or ill.

As an example, if your cat smells your mouth and sense that you are sick with a cold they may try to bring you a small gift such as a half-dead mouse or bird, in order to increase your strength. As your cat may believe that by feeding you that you’ll get better faster.

Hopefully, after reading the points listed above, you have a far better idea of why your cat loves to smell your mouth on a regular basis.