Your cat smells your breath because he wants to learn more about you. Your scent is very telling for a cat. They want to know what you have been eating. Cats like warmth so they are drawn towards your breath. Your cat could also be checking up on your well-being through the smell of your breath.
If your cat has been exhibiting this behavior and you want to know why, keep on reading.
Why does my cat smell my breath?
Your cat may be smelling your breath for any of the following reasons:
1. Smell is a cat’s primary sense.
Cats have an extraordinary sense of smell. It is 14 times better than a human’s; cats have over 200 million sensors in their noses. They rely on their sense of smell the way humans rely on sight and sound.
2. Cats are naturally curious.
Cats like to explore every nook and cranny of your house. This is a trait they retain from their ancestors. Constantly surveying their territory is instinctual to them. Your mouth may just be a place they would like to explore.
3. Your cat is learning about you.
Your cat may be smelling your breath because they are learning about you using their most sensitive tool. Most cats identify their owners by their scent, so it makes sense that your cat enjoys smelling your mouth because it has a unique smell that they are comfortable with.
If you have been out of the house, when you come back, your cat may climb on your lap and try to smell your mouth. You should be flattered because your cat missed you and wants to be comforted by your presence.
4. Your cat can smell what you have been eating.
Cats enjoy smelling human mouths so they can smell their saliva and recognize what their human has been eating for the past couple of hours. If your cat is hungry, they will try to smell the mouth of the humans in your house to see if they have eaten any food recently.
If your cat recognizes that the person they are smelling has eaten their favorite food, he may cozy up to the person in the hopes that the person may have more of the food.
5. Cats are drawn to warmth and moisture.
Our breath is warm and constantly moist with saliva, so your cat will seek comfort by smelling your mouth. The temperature of your breath feels like a ray of sunshine on your cat’s face.
6. Your cat is checking on your well-being.
Some vets believe that human saliva smells different to a cat when the person is healthy and when they are not. They theorize that maybe cats are able to pick up an abnormal scent. They put forward the idea that when a cat smells its owner’s mouth, it is trying to determine if they are healthy or ill.
If your cat smells your breath when you are sick, they may bring you a gift such as a dead mouse or a bird for you to “feed” on. This is their way of helping you recover.
7. Your cat loves and trusts you.
Cats are methodical animals and do not warm up to just anybody. If your cat is willing to get close enough to you to smell your mouth, that means you two share a great bond and he feels safe and secure.
Conclusion
Your cat smells your breath because they want to learn more about their favorite human using their most acute sense. They want to know what you have been eating as well as feel the warmth of your breath on their face. Cats also smell your breath to possibly check if you are healthy or not. They may give you a gift to help you recover if they think you are ill.
Cats will only get close enough to smell a person’s breath if they trust the person, so if your cat does this to you, it means they feel safe and content.
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