Cat Communication - Scent

Scent

See also: Major urinary proteins and Cat pheromone

Cats can communicate through scent via urine, feces, and chemicals in skin glands located around the mouth, tail, and paws. They also use scent in order to mark their territory. If another animal tries to invade the cat's territory, it will fight for the territory, or the cat will scare the animal off. Urine spraying is also a territorial marking. Cats rub up against furniture or doorways to mark the items as "theirs". When cats rub people, they are marking them with their scent, claiming them as "theirs", in much the same way they would mark each other as neighbors in a natural setting. In addition, they are picking up the peoples' scents.

Read more about this topic:  Cat Communication

Famous quotes containing the word scent:

    “Chopin—Two embalmers at work upon a minor poet ... the scent of tuberoses ... Autumn rain.”
    —H.L. (Henry Lewis)

    “Having grown up in shade of Church and State
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    —Philip Larkin (1922–1986)

    “The fairest things have fleetest end,
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    —Francis Thompson (1859–1907)