Brussels, Europe Brief News –Cats are curious creatures, and they’ll investigate whatever they can discover inside and outside your house. They can traverse their environment and learn more about other creatures because of their exceptional sense of smell.
You may notice that your cat sometimes smells something and then keeps its mouth open for a while. So, what’s the deal here? Are the odors making your cat sick, or is it doing something else completely? Let’s review the reasons why do cats open their mouth when they smell?
Reasons Why Do Cats Open Their Mouth When They Smell?
1. Flehmen’s Reaction
This is the most plausible explanation for cats with open mouths when sniffing. The vomeronasal organ is unique to cats. This area contains olfactory sensory cells. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians have vomeronasal organs.
Flehmen’s response helps the aroma reach the vomeronasal organ on the roof of the mouth. Dogs have fewer of these receptors than cats. Cats have 30 receptors versus dogs’ 9. This demonstrates how superior a cat’s sense of smell is.
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2. Blep
If you’ve seen a cat with its mouth open and tongue out, it’s called ‘the blep.’ This adorable snapshot has a convoluted explanation. It’s often confused with the flehmen reaction, although it’s different. It lets cats explore their environment.
Cats blep to pick up pheromones on their tongue and transport them to their vomeronasal organ. Cats employ the blep technique to determine the sexual status of other cats. When preoccupied or comfortable, they may forget to place their tongue back in their mouth. Some cats sleep in this posture; however, their tongue may move involuntarily in reaction to a dream.
3. Heat or Stress
Stressed or worried cats may open their mouths while breathing to calm down or raise their respiratory rate. Threats, loud noises, or invading cats may induce this.
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Heat is another reason your cat’s jaw may be open when panting. Cats pant to reduce their body temperature, unlike dogs. This might happen in hot weather or a heated environment. Make sure their water supply is constantly supplied with cold, fresh water.
4. Fitness
Cats playing, exploring, chasing birds, or performing other energy-draining activities will breathe with their mouths slightly open. This relaxes their body and muscles, increases the oxygen in their circulation, and slows their pulse rate. This is common in fat, sedentary cats.
5. Cat Flu
This is a severe issue for cats with open jaws. Cat flu causes shortness of breath, drowsiness, and nasal discharge; thus, the mouth is always open.
Cats widen their mouths to acquire more air. Your cat’s vet can diagnose and treat this. Cat flu has numerous symptoms that separate it from flehmen or stress panting. Because its nasal cavity is obstructed, the cat may also be drooling.
Conclusion
Now that you know why do cats open their mouth when they smell, determine the most probable cause. Whether your cat is making a funny face to scent its surroundings or panting from the heat, this behavior is usually harmless. This reveals how powerful a cat’s sense of smell is.
