Many cats love a good fuss with their owner, and although cats aren’t always as eager to see us as dogs, we know they love us really. In fact, many people note their cat rubs their face against our legs when we arrive home. Some of you might be aware that cats scent mark their territories. So do cats scent mark people? Are we part of their territory? Can scent marking indicate a problem?
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What is Scent Marking?
Many animals, from bees and ants, to cats and dogs, pigs and horses and many others, communicate via pheromone signalling. Pheromones are chemicals that are released by an animal that causes some sort of response in an animal of the same species. For example, when a female dog is in heat she releases pheromones that male dogs will detect, causing them to become aroused and mate. Through pheromones animals can communicate information about themselves and the world around them, even if they aren’t physically present. Depending on the animal, pheromones are detected by receptors in the nose, or the vomeronasal organ – this is a special organ located on the roof of the mouth. This means animals can detect pheromones via smell and taste.
Cat Pheromones
Cats are very adept at using pheromones for communication. Cats release many different types of pheromones from glands over their bodies – they are located on the face, chin, ears, forehead, paws, anus, tail-base, tail itself and mammary glands. Pheromones can be left behind by the cat via rubbing the glands directly on objects, scratching with their paws, or by releasing them in secretions, like urine, faeces, saliva.
Other cats then detect these pheromones via their nose or the vomeronasal organ. When cats use the vomeronasal organ they often open their mouth and curl their lip up. This is called the flehmen response, and might be why your cat appears to sometimes stop and pull a face – they might be interacting with their world!
We have actually identified some of the chemicals that make up cat pheromones, and have been able to replicate some for pet use. These come in the form of pheromone plug-in diffusers, collars, sprays, wipes and more. They are designed for various things depending on the pheromone, including preventing unwanted behaviour, calming, and reducing aggression.
Why Do Cats Scent Mark?
Cats scent mark via pheromones for a variety of specific reasons.
Firstly they use them for themselves – cats can release and detect their own pheromones! This is quite commonly done to self-soothe when cats are stressed. They may also do it to mark their territory so they know what is theirs.
Cats will then use pheromones to communicate with other cats. Marking territory is a signal to other cats, and these cats will learn a lot from a scent-marked area including the cat’s gender, reproductive status, and even mood. Mother cats will release pheromones from the mammary glands so that when her kittens suckle they will stay calm and feel comforted. The mother can detect the pheromones too, so if her kitten wanders off she can smell where the kitten is.
Sexual communication is important for breeding-age cats, and pheromones help here too. Male cats in particular release a lot of pheromones in their urine, commonly left behind when spraying. These tell other cats who he is and that he is ready to mate! These will discourage other males from encroaching on his territory and stealing his females! Female cats will release similar pheromones to indicate if she is receptive to mating or not.
Do Cats Scent Mark People?
Yes, we do think cats scent mark their owners. The most obvious reason is marking us as part of their territory. Should another neighbourhood cat come calling, they will smell your cat’s pheromones on you and know who your cat is and that you belong to them! Cats may also mark us for their own benefit – one group of pheromones are called feline facial secretions, and some of these are released when a cat rubs their face against something. At least one is known to cause a soothing calming effect, so by rubbing us with this pheromone they are marking as something that soothes them. Could this be love??
Can Scent Marking Cause a Problem?
In general, scent marking doesn’t cause problems for you or your cat, and in fact is good for them. We cannot detect the pheromones and they leave no marks on furniture. For the average cat, scent marking is a sign of happiness and good health.
However, in some cases, scent marking can cause problems. The most common is cats spraying in the house. As well as making a smell and mess, scent marking indoors may be a sign your cat is stressed, anxious, unhappy or in pain. Cats are creatures of habit, so sudden changes often cause spraying problems too. If your cat suddenly starts spraying, we recommend a visit to the vets to determine what is wrong – urinary problems are very common in cats. Spraying is also more common in entire cats marking their territory, so assuming they are otherwise healthy, we recommend neutering all cats to reduce this behaviour.
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