Reasons why cats

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12/03/2021 owner reviews

You've probably noticed that cats sniff your feet with special pleasure and wear sweaty clothes. The special interest of pets in human sweat is not accidental and is easily explained from a scientific point of view.

Similarities between human and cat pheromones
Predator instincts
Feeling safe
Cats love socks and shoes because of the smells

Why are cats attracted to specific smells?

Attentive owners of furry pets may have noticed that cats show special interest in smells that are unusual, in human opinion. For example, cats love the smell of dirty clothes, unwashed socks or sweaty armpits. Thus, some kittens and adult pets like to sleep on unwashed linen, put their muzzles in shoes or enjoy “poking” into the armpits, while preferring more male ones. What causes this behavior, why do cats lick their armpits?

First of all, don’t be scared and think that your pet has gone crazy. The thing is that representatives of the cat family have a much better developed sense of smell than humans. Cats can detect odors and aromas that are not sensitive to our noses and at the same time feel them much more strongly.

Through new scents, cats navigate in space and adapt to environmental conditions.

Smells can attract or, conversely, repel cats. For example, cats simply adore human sweat. Animals like the smell of their owner's clothes and shoes. It is worth noting that such “scents” attract more adult cats than kittens. Babies show less interest in strong aromas and use their owner's clothes or socks as new toys.

True love

The more we work, the more we worry or get sick, the more we sweat. In fact, strong-smelling clothes convey the message that today has been a rough day. Therefore, there is also a theory that a cat rubs against a sweaty owner, trying to normalize the body’s activity. And he licks the most sweaty places - the armpits.

Thus, the pet tries to calm the person, bring him to his senses, and give him a charge of love. After all, you must agree, what a great happiness it is when someone loves you when you are sick and very tired, and she only loves you when you are beautiful and well-groomed.

What else is attractive about sweat for cats?

It's all about pheromones (ancient Greek . - I carry + . - I excite, encourage). Pheromones are chemical compounds of natural origin that play almost the main role in the interaction of animals of the same species. The power of pheromones over our smaller brothers is powerful, since they are responsible for reactions that ensure the survival of the species: reproduction, caring for offspring, etc. In particular, only pheromones allow the males and females of all animals that reproduce sexually to identify each other and mate.
Salty sweat . Cats are partial to salty foods, and sweat, as you know, is an aqueous solution of salts and organic substances secreted by sweat glands. Sweat plays a significant role in the socio-biological processes of information transfer between mammals. In addition to pheromones, a large number of biologically active substances are also transferred with sweat. By the way, human sweat emits a specific smell. It can be both unpleasant and magnetic, depending on the gender of the subject and his readiness to mate. However, fresh sweat has no odor. It begins to be felt after some time, when bacteria activate reproduction on the skin.
New range of scents . As soon as the owner enters the house, the cat begins to explore his feet and shoes. After all, they contain so much information from the places he visited! These are unknown and endlessly entertaining smells, especially for those cats for whom access to the street is prohibited. They rub, as if securing their rights to objects, enveloping them with their smell. Cats learn and remember smell thanks to scent glands located on their faces.
“Tame” the smell . The lucky ones who can freely walk in the fresh air on their own, when returning home, try to replace the foreign smell with their own, family, or rather the owner’s, and that’s why they rub against people’s things.

However, this does not apply to all cats. One fourth of the cat family is completely indifferent to the smell of human sweat, valerian or catnip. Maybe because their sense of smell is less developed? Smells also do not affect small kittens. A new scent is another reason for them to have fun.

Protection

Most often, a cat comes into our home when he is very young and, naturally, experiences stress. Everything around seems new and scary. And among all this, the owner becomes his reliable support, protection, and breadwinner. Naturally, the animal gets used to associating your smell with positive experiences of calm. At the same time, falling to the most fragrant places. Where is the maximum concentration? That's right, in the area of the sweat glands. Moreover, the cleaner our natural smell is and the less it is mixed with chemicals, detergents and deodorants, the more pleasant it is for the cat. This explains not just why cats love sweat, but why they are especially crazy about what we consider to be the most foul-smelling things. The smell of your sweat is the sweetest scent of all life. By the way, this is why male sweat, as containing its own notes of a strong male, will be preferable for mustachioed pets. And cats are special fans of sweat. In addition, a pregnant cat generally does not like to be bored alone and is happy when you return home.

By the way, very young children who are forced to be separated from their mothers often fall asleep peacefully when their mother’s clothes are placed in their crib. In fact, the brains of a baby and a cat still function in the same way in terms of smells. They both do not understand social norms and do not know that the smell of sweat and body for us now is something from the “not very” category. For them, these are the natural smells of a loved one.

Causes of odor

Human sweat glands are divided into two types: apocrine and eccrine. With any increase in body temperature, the eccrine glands begin to work intensively, trying to normalize the temperature in order to prevent the body from overheating. When these glands operate, a substance consisting of water and various salts is released. Eccrine glands are located virtually throughout the body and have access to the surface of the skin.

The largest concentration of these glands is on the palms and soles of a person’s feet. Apocrine glands are associated with the hair of the body, therefore they are located mostly in the armpits and in the genital area. When working, these glands secrete a cloudy liquid that is odorless until it encounters bacteria on the skin surface.

Apocrine glands come into play during puberty, as well as during psychological stress in the body.

If you carefully monitor your personal hygiene, use deodorizing products, but at the same time you still have an unpleasant body odor, sweating has increased significantly, even without any active actions, you should not delay a visit to a specialist, as this may be a sign of a serious illness .

The sense of smell is the main organ

Animals, unlike people, don’t just smell – they read it. The sense of smell for cats is known to be extremely important. Thanks to this organ, cats find a partner for mating, hunt, and receive information. It is also an organ of communication. The main task of the sense of smell is to notify the cat for a lightning-fast reaction: with its help, she finds out what the smell carries - a threat or unpleasant sensations or, conversely, pleasure. Thanks to smells, animals navigate the environment, delimit territory, etc. Traces of memory about various aromas are never erased or dulled in the cat’s brain, but are forever fixed in the center of long-term memory, as if in a bank of smells.

catnip

Nepeta cataria, better known as catnip, it produces a powerful narcotic effect . In the animal, the active ingredient found in the plant, nepetalactone, has a psychoactive effect on cats, which encourages them to stimulate the mind and stimulate play. Thus, when a cat smells catnip, it tends to rub it, lick it, eat it, exhibit unusual behavior (such as jumping), and even hunt non-existent animals.

Because it stimulates the animal's mind and keeps them active, catnip is one of the most beneficial herbs for them. However, while it may be the smell that attracts cats, for the most part it is not the same for all cats. Some people do not react to the plant in the same way. This is because the catnip reaction is genetic and some simply don't have the DNA to appreciate it...[one]. More information in our article on “properties of catnip”.

Predatory instinct of cats

Cats, like their larger relatives, are predators. They can sit in ambush for a long time, hiding and waiting for the right moment to attack. To do this, they certainly need to mask their smell and merge with the numerous aromas of the environment. In this case, household items that smell strongly of sweat are ideal.

Cats do not regard sweat as a sign of uncleanliness. For them, this is the natural smell of a living creature.

Peppermint, basil and peppermint

The next three are mint, basil and mint, all of which belong to the same family as catnip ( Lamiaceae ). It is therefore not surprising that the smell of these plants, which are so often used for cooking, is also one of those smells that cats love. Therefore, cats that are attracted to them have the same symptoms described in the section on catnip, activation and mental stimulation. Then again, they are also quite strong scents, so getting used to them will backfire...

How to keep your pet safe

Unfortunately, you can't just force your pet to give up his love of bleach. If a cat licks bleach or loves to spend time in a room where it has recently been disinfected using this chemical, the owner will have to be constantly on alert so that nothing bad happens. Here are some methods that can protect a pet that loves chlorine:

All products containing chlorine should be stored in places where the cat has no access. For example, in drawers with doors that can be locked with a key;
After cleaning with chlorine, it is better to finally wipe all surfaces with a cloth soaked in clean water;
The room where you just washed the floor with bleach needs to be ventilated very thoroughly;
While cleaning a room with bleach, it is best to lock the cat in another room;
At home, you should not use highly concentrated professional chlorine-containing products unless absolutely necessary. Even ordinary household bleach with a low chlorine content is best diluted 1:1 with water to reduce the risk of poisoning your pet;
Some housewives, in the old fashioned way, soak their laundry in water with the addition of chlorine bleach in basins. Doing this is dangerous if there is a cat in the house. An animal may happily drink such poisonous water;
Perhaps the owner of a cat who loves the smell of bleach should think about buying products that do not contain this toxic chemical. The same oxygen bleaches, for example, instead of aggressive chlorine, contain hydrogen peroxide, to which animals are indifferent.

How to stop a cat from licking armpits

While there is nothing wrong with this, this behavior is undeniably creepy. Your cat will look poorly groomed if a guest or friend sees her licking your armpits.

And if you remove your cat from your armpits, but she still insists, there are several ways to stop insisting.

Any time you feel your cat approaching your armpits to lick them, or has already started licking your armpits, consider doing the following:

Don't let your pet lick your armpits before he starts doing so. This way he will know that you don't like doing it and will get used to not doing it again and again.
Start playing with your pet when you feel like he is about to lick your armpits.
You can distract your pet with a toy to do something your pet likes. This will work when your pet is already licking your armpits. Distraction is the best way to keep your cat from doing this.
Using a citrus-scented deodorant may cause your cat to stop licking your armpits because cats don't like the taste or smell of citrus.

Pheromones

Continuing the theme of the special predilection of cats for the armpits of the owner, we can say that pheromones are to blame. Especially if furry girls are in heat. They simply begin to “live” with their nose hidden in the armpits of the owner. After all, the owner’s smell becomes simply incredibly pleasant.

A cat's sense of smell is much more sensitive. And therefore, the cat family is able to distinguish not only pheromones, but even such subtleties as the hormonal background of the owner. In this case, pregnant women get active sniffing. Sometimes, based on the behavior of animals, hormonal disorders of the host’s body begin to be suspected. There is even a theory that cats can tell by their behavior when girls are ovulating. But, since animals do not write dissertations, there is no 100% evidence yet.

Nutrition and animal behaviorists also link the urge to sniff sweat to food preferences. After all, sweat contains a lot of salts, and cats like salty things.

Main reasons

Cats are one of the most independent and self-sufficient pets you can keep at home. Some people periodically feel like they are the ones living with their animal, and not the other way around, they behave so proudly. Therefore, when pets start licking their hands, many people want to think that this is only because of strong love and affection. However, this is not entirely true; there are also other reasons for this.

This behavior is one of the main reasons for licking the head, hands, face, and hair of its owner. A cat avoids people who, for one reason or another, are unpleasant to them. This could be a smell, a neglectful or rude attitude towards an animal, and many others. Therefore, if a pet shows sympathy in this way, there is no need to scold or drive him away.

After birth, when kittens are still blind and deaf, they communicate with their mother through tactile interactions. Cats lick their offspring many times a day. This moment remains in the memory of animals for life. When they reach puberty, but do not have kittens for one reason or another, they thus demonstrate maternal instinct.

Cats begin to lick their owner, thereby replacing the care of kittens. This seems funny and cute, but this behavior should alert the owner; it can harm the health of the pet. In this connection, veterinarians recommend sterilizing animals at the age of less than 12 months, if matings are not planned in the future.

Lack of attention

When the owner does not give his pet enough attention, this is fraught with damage to furniture, torn wallpaper and loss of mutual understanding with each other. Particularly active individuals can even bite a person. There are several signs that your cat wants affection or play that should not be ignored:

flattens ears;
nuzzles hand;
licks the owner's nose and face.

The pet can lie flat on the floor at the owner’s feet and turn one side or another, as if showing an area of the body where it needs to be stroked or scratched.

Many cats enjoy having their foreheads and ears scratched. Moreover, the fur on the forehead should be stroked against growth, and the ears can be pulled a little. Some pets love it if their belly is touched, others cannot stand it. During molting, animals love to be combed, which is also worth taking into account.

You can start stroking without waiting for a call from your pet, but take the initiative yourself. To do this, you need to bring your hand to a distance of about 10 cm from the animal and scratch it nearby; if it reaches out and begins to rub against the owner, then the call for affection has been accepted.

Cat dominance

When licking, sometimes a cat shows its dominant role in the family. In this way she means that this person is her property. At the same time, the pet leaves its scent on the owner. If there are no signs of aggression, there is no need to fight this, as this is normal, because it is not for nothing that everyone knows that a cat is one of the most independent pets.

Anxiety and stress

With increased anxiety and stress, a cat often begins to lick itself and its owner. If such behavior has not been noticed before, or if it was much less so, you need to show the animal to a veterinarian, because this is a symptom indicating the presence of some pathology.

Another reason for this behavior is the animal’s low self-esteem. Licking the owner is a way to win him over and keep him safe. At the same time, the pet is tense and will constantly expect a trick, rather than enjoy communicating with the owner.

Boredom

Some animals, often and for a long time being alone, try to have fun on their own. Some start eating a lot, while others start licking. This is a way to cope with boredom. First, they constantly carry out the washing procedure, and then switch to the owner’s things, as well as hair, hands, face, and the person himself.

Cats have a very highly developed sense of smell, so they can lick the hands, feet, and armpits of their owners who come in the evening after work. The fact is that the smell of sweat formed on the human body during the day is a bait for animals. And by licking it, pets try to protect their owner from persecution by other animals and encroachment on their territory.

World of cat scents

By the way, cats also have unloved odors:

Cats are not fond of citrus scents. If you put the skins of oranges or lemons in the pot of a flower that your pussy is nibbling on, it will ignore that place.
You can spray the area where you don't want a cat's presence with acetic acid. Cats cannot stand this smell. It will seem to a person that it has disappeared within just a few minutes, but your mustachioed friend will feel it for a very long time.
Lavender, mint, and rue are suitable as natural “horror stories.” They can be placed in a garden area where there is no place for cats.
You can buy cat repellent spray in specialized stores. The method of application is simple: where the cat has adapted to walk “big”, you need to spray the spray. Animals avoid such places; they don’t like them.

Date: 03/12/2016.