Smelling Sense of Cat

Cats have an acute and highly developed sense of smell and, in common with many mammals, possess a special pair of small olfactory organs located near the roof of the mouth. The vomeronasal, or Jacobson's organs, contain cells that are sensitive to chemical odors and, when stimulated, transmit signals along nerve pathways to the brain where these can be identified and interpreted.

Occasionally a cat can be seen 'snuffing' a scent and curling its lip as though in disgust. In fact, what the cat is doing is directing the air it is inhaling through the vomeronasal organs better to detect the chemical particles that it contains. The part of the brain concerned with the interpretation of odors is relatively large, showing the importance of this sense in the life of a cat. The animal uses its olfactory sense to detect and interpret the scent messages, or pheromones, left by other cats in the area. This means that cats have a means of chemical communication, used primarily to advertise their sexual status and, in the case of males, to mark their territory.

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