How do cats recognize their owners?

To study cats is more difficult than other domestic animals

Photo: allaserebrina/depositphotos

Cats can recognize their owners not only by their appearance and voice, but also by the smell.

In this case, the left nostril is used to recognize the owner of the animal.

This is stated in a study that Posted In Plos One, writes The New York Times.

Cats are distinguished among other animals with peculiar behavior. It seems that these tails themselves know what to do, and they rarely consider the desire of the owners.

Cat independence is considered one of the factors why their behavior has been studied worse than other domestic animals.

« In fact, cats understand a lot as well as dogs, but they do not show it by their behavior and are more cautious, which complicates the experiments »– explained Professor of Zootechnics Hidhico Uvil.

Nevertheless, the team of scientists managed to involve 30 cats in their study and determine how they respond to smells.

During the work, scientists collected the smells of animal owners, wiping them with cotton swabs behind their ears, between their fingers and under the armpits. Also involved in the study were outsiders for cats who do not have pets.

Each of 30 cats scientists suggested sniffing cotton buds with the smell of their owner, a stranger and without a human aroma.

Scientists have discovered that the tail is different to the smell of their owners, compared to the aroma of strangers. Cats spent more time familiarizing with the samples of people who are unknown to them. This suggests that the cat recognizes the owner by smell.

Animal behavior researcher Karo Siracus, who did not participate in the study, says that scientists have managed to find out « very important information », although their conclusions may seem obvious.

In addition, the animals used the right nostril to familiarize themselves with the smell of the owner, and the stranger – the left. These conclusions confirm previous studies of other animals, including dogs, which are more inhaled by the right nostril for the study of strange odors.

« The left nostril is used for familiar odors and the right – new and alarming aromas. This indicates that the smell may be associated with how the brain works.

Probably the right hemisphere is predominantly processing emotionally anxious odors « – explains Hidechico Uvil.

In this case, Karo Siracus urges to be careful in the conclusions, since in this study, scientists did not monitor the activity of the animal’s brain.

At the same time, the scientist believes that the results of work are important for further understanding of the behavior of cats, through which people will be able to take good care of them.

The scientist also noted the achievements of colleagues who managed to analyze dozens of cats.

« I sincerely praise a group of scientists because they managed to attract 30 cats. Most of them do not want to have anything to do with research– added Karo Siracus.

Previously scientists have found out that cats can grieve by other pets after their death.