Cats have a highly effective sense of smell, especially compared to us humans. Humans have around 5 million scent receptors to rely on, but felines have around 45-80 million, or possibly even up to 200 million! Cats rely on their sense of smell to figure out their surroundings and find things like food and prey. So, we shouldn’t be surprised to see our felines sniffing things around the house.
What might seem weird, though, is when your cat keeps sniffing your face and you can’t figure out why. You may be wondering, “Is my cat trying to smell my breath?” but they wouldn’t have to get so up close and personal just to do that! There are a few possible reasons that your cat might be sniffing your face.
The 7 Possible Reasons Why My Cat Is Sniffing My Face
1. They’re Investigating Your Scent
If your cat is a new member of the family, they may spend a great deal of time sniffing you and your face for a while to familiarize themselves with your unique scent. This will help them identify you by smell, even when they cannot see you or you are in another room of the house. By getting to know your unique scent, they can recognize you quickly, tell where you have been, which animals you may have been in contact with, and what food you’ve eaten. Your face may be particularly interesting if there are any microscopic food leftovers, especially from a meaty meal.
2. They’re Just Saying Hello
Another reason your cat might sniff your face is that they are saying hello and trying to bond with you. You might notice that your cat sniffs your face whenever you come home or when you wake up in the morning. You may notice that they sniff the faces of other people and animals that live in your household for the same reason.
3. They’re Marking Their Territory
Cats like to spread their scent, especially to people, places, and things that they want to “own” and make them smell like themselves as much as possible. Some cats try to mark their human companions because they want to reinforce their bond, or they want their humans to smell familiar. This may be accompanied by head-butting your face and taking a moment to sniff it at the same time.
4. They May Be Checking up on You
Your hormones and other elements within your body can change for various reasons. You might be entering a different phase of life, you may have changed your diet and lifestyle, or maybe you are dealing with an illness. Whatever the reason for the change, it may affect your body’s scent, sweat, breath, and others. When scent changes happen, it remains unknown if your cat is able to pick up on it, and even if they are, how would they go about interpreting it? More likely, cats draw conclusions based on behavioral, auditory, and visual cues from their humans. This area requires further scientific research, but it may be possible that your cat is sniffing your face in an effort to check on your well-being and to determine what’s going on, but we just can’t be sure.
5. They’re Trying to Get Your Attention
Sometimes, a cat just wants extra attention from their human companion. They know that getting up in your face is an excellent way to get that attention. You might find that your kitty tries to wake you up by sniffing your face or that they sniff your face to take your attention away from the book that you’re reading or the movie that you’re watching.
6. They Need to Relieve Stress
A cat may do various things to relieve any stress that they are feeling, including rubbing up against you and sniffing your face. Getting close to you and taking in a familiar scent that makes them feel safe can help reduce their stress levels so they can feel more comfortable in their day. It’s an honor and a responsibility to be trusted enough that your cat relies on your scent to relax and de-stress.
7. They’re Feeling Playful
If a cat is feeling playful, they might take the time to sniff your face to get an idea of what kind of mood you are in. If they sense that you’re in good spirits, they may try swiping at your hand or rolling around in front of you to entice you into gameplay. Grabbing a toy and spending a few minutes playing several times per day should provide your kitty with the satisfaction that they are looking for.
Conclusion
With so many possible reasons for a cat to sniff their owner’s face, it can be fun to try to figure out the specific reason that your kitty is expressing this behavior. You might find that your cat acts in this way for just one reason or for several. Learning why your cat sniffs your face can also help you better communicate and bond with them as time goes on.
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Featured Image Credit: Julija Sulkovska, Shutterstock
