Imagine if you were to walk out your front door in the morning and take a deep breath and breathe in all the neighborhood information. The neighbor on your right is not feeling well today, and the neighbor on your left took the dog out for an early walk and went down the trail across the street. And what is that? Someone you don’t know walked by, but with something yummy and they went to the door of the ill neighbor, maybe bringing them some soup. On your morning walk you pass another neighbor and hug, making sure to share your scent to reinforce your friendship. This is the scent and tactile (or touch) world of a cat. Cats have twice the olfactory cells that humans do, allowing them to use their nose to navigate the world around them. Cats use both touch and scent to communicate, maintain social bonds, and defend their territory. They have scent glands all over their bodies concentrated on their flanks, face, and paws. Cats living in a social group will have a group scent that both identifies the group and individuals within that group. They leave these scents on surfaces in their environment.
Have you ever seen your cat open her mouth, curl her lips up, and pause with it open while sniffing something? Cats have a special receptor called the vomeralnasal organ located in two small sacs just above the hard palate in the roof of their mouth. It has ducts to both the nose and mouth. When they are smelling a particularly interesting scent, a cat can open their mouth and breathe in some of the scent to get a better smell. This is called a flehmen reaction.
Allorubbing
Has your cat ever insisted on rubbing her cheeks on something you are holding or even on you? That is a good thing. This is called allorubbing, in particular “bunting” or “chinning”, rubbing their chin or cheeks or head on you. These are expressions of affection and a way for your cat to say “ you are mine”. Facial scent glands allow cats to mark and lay claim to objects in their home range. Allorubbing is the act of rubbing any part of the body against an object or another animal. When cats are separated from you or one another they will engage in allorubbing when reunited to mix scents and to express affection. If you have a multi-cat household and they need to be separated for a time. It can help to reintroduce them to each other by using a cloth to rub each cat, particularly on the cheeks, before putting them together. Cats view the world much more through scent than visually and this can help them to “recognize” one another.
An interesting aside, male cats will allorub both male and female cats, but female cats will only engage in allorubbing with other females.
Allogrooming
When your cat licks or grooms himself or another cat, he is sharing scent from his saliva and scent glands around his mouth. This is called allogrooming and can help to establish an overall scent for a group, as well as reinforce social bonds. (I don’t highly recommend licking your neighbor though!) Cats will groom any species with which they have a friendly social relationship, including you.
Kneading
Kneading, also known as “making biscuits”, is a behavior left over from kittenhood. When a kitten rhythmically presses her paws on either side of her mother’s nipple it stimulates the flow of milk. In domestic cats, this behavior continues into adulthood when a cat feels safe and comfortable in their environment. A soft blanket, pillow, or lap are popular spots to knead. A person’s larger size and warmth might evoke the feeling of a kitten beside her mother causing her to knead in an expression of affection toward her person. Cats do also have scent glands in their feet and this is another way of claiming you as theirs.
Since this is an expression of affection and an instinctive behavior, cats should never be reprimanded for kneading. Owners can keep claws clipped or provide a barrier, such as a blanket between the cat’s paws and skin or clothing.
Scratching
Contrary to popular belief, cats do not scratch items merely to sharpen their claws. Although it does help to dislodge the worn sheath on the outside of claws as they grow, it is also leaving a scent to mark the area. This is why your cat may scratch the side of the couch where you sit. They are letting other cats know this is their territory with you.