A cat sniffs its food to check, before swallowing, that it is edible and fresh: as a solitary hunter, a dietary mistake can be fatal, so smell serves as the first safety filter, long before taste comes into play.
A dual system for chemical analysis
A cat has approximately 200 million olfactory receptors in its nasal lining, far more than humans, which allows it to detect volatile compounds that signal decay, the presence of mold, or a harmful bacterium. This inspection happens before the food enters the mouth because, unlike humans, a cat cannot rely on taste to catch a problem: its taste buds are few and far between, and it is almost unable to perceive sweetness.
In addition to its nose, a cat has a vomeronasal organ (or Jacobson's organ), located on the roof of the mouth and connected to the oral cavity by two ducts. To use it, the animal performs the flehmen response: mouth slightly open, upper lip curled back, sometimes with light drooling. This behavior, more common when encountering social or unusual odors, allows nonvolatile molecules to reach this second sensory organ, providing a more detailed chemical analysis than simple smelling alone.
The practical point: a cat with a stuffy nose that stops eating
A cat's appetite depends closely on its sense of smell: when rhinitis or a respiratory infection (such as feline viral rhinotracheitis) blocks the nasal passages, the cat no longer detects the smell signals from its meal and may refuse to eat, even with familiar food present. This loss of appetite due to impaired sense of smell is a recognized warning sign in feline medicine, because a cat that does not eat for several days risks hepatic lipidosis, a serious complication. Any loss of appetite together with a stuffy nose or sneezing warrants prompt veterinary attention.
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