Smiling Or Smelling?

Feline Fun Fact-Smiling Or Smelling?

Have you ever eaten a mint candy and then have taken in a deep breath with your mouth open? It seems like the mint flavor intensifies with the intake of air.  Cat’s have a similar sensation when they smell which makes them look like they are smiling with their mouth open. Fact is cats have an extra olfactory organ which is connected to their nasal cavity. When they sniff and smile, this is called The Flehman Response, resulting in the curling of the upper lip. Cats are one of the few animals that have this extra olfactory organ, called the Jacobson’s organ. Combined with this extra organ when your cat shows this smiling behavior this is known as flehming.

A cat’s ability is heightened to analyze scents by intensifying the odor. They can sense how long ago an animal had been in the area and other important scent information. So if you see your cat flehming know that he is doing a careful analysis of his environment. Just smile back and be proud of your incredible cat!