Across the globe, people coexist with cats, engaging in various social behaviors with their furry companions. While olfaction is one of cats’ most crucial sensory abilities, its specific role in identifying humans remains unclear. A recent study conducted by researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture examined how domestic cats use their sense of smell to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar humans.
Miyairi et al. Ferris Catus’ behavioral response to human olfactory stimuli was explained. They suggest that cats use their sense of smell to recognize humans. Moreover, the olfactory exploration behaviors of cats are linked to their personality traits, indicating a lateralization in odor detection between the left and right nostrils. Image credits: Sci.news / makieni777 / rise-a-mui / alexas_fotos / dorothe / vaclav zavada / artem makarov / daga roszkowska / birgit / pasi mammela.
“Dogs (Canis Familiaris) and cats (Felis Catus) present unique social interactions,” said Dr. Yutaro Miyairi, the lead author of the study.
“Prior research has largely focused on how these animals bond with their owners.”
“For instance, dogs are adept at recognizing human emotional expressions through facial cues and vocal tones, demonstrating their ability to process social information from humans.”
“Cats, too, possess remarkable social cognitive skills that have piqued the interest of researchers.”
“However, studies on cat-human interactions have not progressed to the extent seen in canine research.”
In this study, the team aimed to determine whether cats can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar individuals using olfactory cues alone.
The researchers tested 30 cats by presenting them with plastic tubes containing swabs that had been rubbed under the armpits, behind the ears, and between the toes of their owners and unfamiliar humans.
Cats exhibited a significantly longer interest in unfamiliar scents compared to those from their owners or empty tubes.
Interestingly, the scientists observed that cats initially preferred using their right nostrils to smell unknown odors, later switching to their left nostrils as they became acquainted with the scents.
Cat owners were asked to complete an online survey to evaluate the relationship between their cats’ personalities and their ownership experiences.
Male cats with anxious temperaments tended to repeatedly sniff each tube, whereas those with more relaxed personalities approached the tubes in a calmer manner.
In contrast, there was no observable personality influence on the behaviors of female cats during the experiment.
The findings suggest that pet cats can differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar humans based on scent alone, though it remains uncertain if they can identify a specific individual based solely on smell.
Additionally, the preference for investigating new scents with the right nostril implies a potential lateralization in brain function, a phenomenon also documented in other animals like dogs, fish, and birds.
“Our findings further support the idea that cats utilize their olfactory sense to recognize humans,” the authors stated.
“This also reinforces the significance of rubbing behavior that follows sniffing, which may suggest an exploratory phase that precedes scent marking.”
“This relationship calls for further exploration, particularly regarding whether cats can recognize specific individuals using olfactory signals.”
The study was published online in the journal PLOS ONE.
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Y. Miyairi et al. 2025. The behavioral response of pet cats to human odor. PLOS ONE 20(5): E0324016; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324016
Source: www.sci.news
