HOW THE CAT COMMUNICATES AS A SOCIAL ANIMAL: OLFACTION AND PHEROMONES
As stalk-and-rush hunters, cats don’t use their sense of smell much for hunting. In contrast to dogs,
who might track prey for long distances, cats follow prey only a short distance.
But the smell is critical to how cats relate to each other. Their sense of smell is approximately fourteen times as strong as ours, and it’s important to remember that olfactory information talks straight to the part of the brain that is key to emotions and motivations, such as anxiety and aggression.
Cats can also detect pheromones with their vomeronasal organ (VNO—also called the Jacobson’s
organ). Pheromones are special chemical signals that reveal information about sex, reproductive status, and individual identity. You might have seen your cat make an “open mouth sniff” or grimace, which is called the Flehmen response. This behavior is a sign that a cat is taking in those pheromones
(usually via the urine of other cats). From that Flehmen response, they know who has been around,when they’ve been around, and possibly even their emotional state. Are they a familiar cat? Are they an intruder? A female in heat? An intact male? Are they stressed out? This information can be used to
help cats avoid contact and conflict with other cats.
Urine spray elicits a lot of sniffing in cats, especially if it is the urine of an unfamiliar cat. But
strange urine doesn’t necessarily cause cats to avoid an area—it’s not necessarily a “keep out” sign.
Pheromones
Cats can leave pheromone messages through glands on their cheeks, forehead, lips, chin, tail, feet,
whiskers, pads, ears, flanks, and mammary glands. Rubbing these glands against objects or individuals leaves the cat’s scent behind. The functions of all of the different pheromones are still Mojo Mysteries, but researchers have identified the functions of three facial pheromones.
One pheromone (F2) is a message from tomcats saying “I’m ready to mate.” The pheromone F3 is
released during cheek or chin rubbing on objects, and helps cats claim ownership of their territory.
Finally, F4 is a social pheromone to mark familiar individuals—human, cat, or other. F4 reduces the
likelihood of aggression between cats and facilitates the recognition of other individuals.
How cats rub to mark can tell you a little bit about their emotional state. Cheek rubbing is
generally a sign of confidence, and “head bonking” against you is a sign of “cat love.”
Scratching is another way for cats to mark their turf, but sometimes cats will also release alarm
pheromones when scratching.
Urine marking is both a sexual behavior and a response to territorial changes (such as new animals
or objects). While urine marking is a completely normal feline behavior, in some ways, it is the
antithesis of facial marking; it’s the Napoleonic response to territorial anxiety.
WHAT MAKES CATS Raw is what unites them all; the ties that bind, however, only tell half the story. As we complete our exploration of all cats, it’s time to start digging deeper to discover what it is that makes your cat one of a kind. Now, let’s get to know your companion better. Much, much better.