You’ve probably seen your cat smelling something, and then your mouth opens, making a sort of grimace.Keep doing this “surprise” expression, but it’s no surprise, no!There is a great tendency to associate certain animal behaviors with those of humans, which is perfectly normal since this is the behavior we know best.However, most of the time, that’s not what we think.
Each animal species has a specific and different behavior to that of other species, if you have a kitten, this amazing cat and an excellent companion, it is very important that you know its normal behavior, so you can detect possible changes, in addition to improving its relationship with it.
- If you came to this article it’s because you wonder why cats open their mouths when they smell something Keep reading why Animal Expert prepared this article specifically to answer this common question among the guardians of these animals!.
Cats detect non-volatile substances such as pheromones, these chemicals send messages through nerve stimuli to the brain, which in turn interprets them, allowing them to receive information from their social group and detect the heat of cats, for example.
Thanks to this reflection of Flehmen the openings of the nasopalatino canals are increased and a pumping mechanism is created that transports the odors to the vomerasal organ, so the cat breathes with its mouth open, to facilitate the entry of pheromones and other chemicals.
It is not only the cat that has this incredible organ, you may have also wondered why your dog is licking the urine of other dogs and the answer is precisely in the vomerasal or Jacobson organ, there are several species that possess this organ and reflect such Flehmen such as cattle, horses, tigers, tapirs, lions, goats, and giraffes.
The behavior we mentioned above is not related to shortness of breath or the fact that a cat breathes like a dog, if your cat starts panting like a dog after exercising, obesity may be the cause, obesity may cause respiratory disturbances. It is common, for example, for larger cats to snore.
If your cat coughs or sneezes, you should consult a trusted veterinarian, as your cat may have a disease, such as:
Whenever you detect a change in the natural behavior of the cat, you should seek the help of a specialist, sometimes small signs can detect diseases in the most important phases and this is the key to successful treatment.
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