Why Do Cats Smell Your Breath?

As a cat owner, you might have noticed that an odd thing happens whenever you breathe around your feline. Maybe you have noticed that your cat is giving you more attention when you exhale, or your little furball spends most of its time sniffing around your mouth. 

There are several reasons that can cause this behavior. Your cat might be curious to see what you ate or is determining your health status. Cats also sniff their owner’s mouth due to their grooming instincts.

In this article, we will explore the reason why do cats like to smell your breath and why your cat is obsessed with your mouth area:

Reasons Why Cat Smell Your Breath

First of all, keep in mind that no two felines are the same. Every cat breed has something unique and new to offer. While a cat likes smelling your breath, the other one might not even let you touch him/her. However, if a cat does like to smell your breath, there are numerous reasons that can cause this behavior, including:

Curiosity

We all know cats are curious by nature. They find every little thing fascinating. So, it’s a possibility that your cat is just curious to see how you smell. The curiosity of a feline is related to its survival instincts. This characteristic helps them recognize threats and danger. 

Determining Health Status

Why do cats smell your breath when you are sick? Cats might seem aloof, but they are quite intelligent. According to Oncoscience, cats can smell sicknesses, some diseases and tumors. This is because your feline friend has a strong sense of smell. When your cell dies and decomposes, this process creates foul-smelling diamines that your cat can smell. 

Compared to healthy cells, many experts believe that the smell of unhealthy cells is more distinctive. Therefore, you should not ignore your feline if it is continuously sniffing your breath.

Hunger

We all know cats follow their stomach. If your cat is hungry, it will sniff your breath to discover what you have eaten. As mentioned earlier, a cat’s sense of smell is so impressive that it can detect what you have eaten through your saliva.

If your cat suspects that you have recently eaten, it will remain close to you. It is a sign that they need something to eat too.

Moisture and Warmth

Cats just love the moisture and warmth our breath produces. This is because the body temperature of a cat is much higher than humans. As a result, they require more warmth to feel comfortable. By smelling your breath, your feline is probably seeking comfort and warmth, which they also do with their mother and other cats. 

Primary Sense

The sense of smell is your feline friend’s primary sense. While other animals use their touch or eyesight to crack things out, kitties get information through their noses. According to healthcare professionals, cats have up to 80 million scent receptors, which is over fourteen times more compared to humans.

Furthermore, cats also have “Jacobson’s Organ” that allows them to identify smells, taste the air, and add them to their memory. As the primary sense, cats sniff literally anything they find to get information, including your breath.

My Cat is Obsessed with My Mouth

As discussed earlier, no two felines are the same. Some cats kiss your mouth, while others sniff your breath and keep a safe distance from you. In some cases, it seems like your cat is just obsessed with your mouth. There are numerous reasons why your feline is fond with your mouth, including:

Scent Marking

If you are a cat owner, you already know that cats don’t like to share things. Whether it’s just a toy or a human, they want to keep them all to themselves. As cats have an extraordinary sense of smell, they use scent glands to mark their territory.

If your cat is rubbing its cheeks on your face or constantly touching your mouth with its paws, you can tell it is marking its territory.

Food Smell

Have you eaten your cat’s favorite treat recently? If yes, then you are in big trouble. As cats are usually driven by the stomach, your feline will get obsessed with your mouth to detect the persistent food smells. Meat and fish will surely cause this obsession, as they are more appealing to felines than others. 

Positive Memory Associations

Most cat owners out there are in love with their feline. They will shower their adorable friend with kisses. As a result, your cat will form positive memory associations with your mouth. Once cats develop these associations, they try to relive this event again and again. 

As your cat decides when to exchange these kisses, you will think your little furball is obsessed with your mouth – especially if your cat likes to smell your breath simultaneously. 

Imitation

Cats are both learners and imitators. While playing, your feline will observe your behavior and learn new skills. They are quite intelligent. If you kiss your children or partner in front of your cat, your feline will pick up this action and repeat it. 

Once your little furball gets a positive response from you, it will make it a habit to get affection and love. 

Grooming Behavior

If your cat trusts you and feels comfortable around you, he/she will try to groom you as well. For cats, grooming is an indicator of affection and love. So, if your cat licks your mouth, it’s not actually an obsession but a sign of love. With this approach, your little friend informs you that it loves you and cares for you.

Conclusion

Why do cats smell your breath? Well, there are numerous reasons that can lead to this behavior. It’s a possibility that your cat is just curious and wants to know what you have eaten. Furthermore, as the smell is a cat’s primary sense, they might perform this action to get information.

Cats can also detect certain diseases, tumors and sicknesses. So, if your cat is sniffing your breath, you should not ignore it.