On the issue of the sensitivity of cats’ sense of smell,

We all have a consensus:

A cat’s sense of smell is definitely better than ours.

But how powerful it is, different textbooks and different websites have different opinions.

Some say it’s 2 times more powerful, and some say it’s 9-16 times more powerful.

Some say it’s 40 times more powerful.

Personally, I prefer the statement 9-16 times.

But this statement is not very rigorous.

Where did this multiple come from?

It is calculated by comparing the number of olfactory receptors - tiny organs that receive odors - on a cat's nose and on a human's.

9-16 times it is said that there are 45-80 million such receptors on cats’ noses, while humans only have 5 million.

Just to mention it by the way,

It is thought that there are 149-300 million such organs in dogs.

Therefore, dogs’ noses are more sensitive than cats and humans.

This is also an indisputable fact.

​Through the above data comparison,

One conclusion we can draw is:

There are many particularly subtle smells,

​We may simply ignore it,

​But for cats,

They can be felt completely and truly.

Regarding the physiological structure of cats, there are actually many topics to talk about.

For example, its unique vomeronasal organ (VNO), 30 variants of VIR protein, etc.,

It seems that it is still necessary to conduct a comprehensive, detailed and in-depth popular science on the various physiological structures of cats.

Today’s focus is to introduce what smells cats hate,

In cats’ daily life, we should try our best to prevent cats from being exposed to these smells.

Otherwise, it may be very detrimental to the cat’s health.

Regarding the odors that cats hate, I divided them into three major categories, namely:

Natural smell

Chemical smell

Other smells

These odors can be found in the home corresponding to common odor sources.

Therefore, in daily life, we need to avoid it as much as possible.

　01 Natural Smell

I have summarized a total of eight natural smells and sorted them.

There are many smells among them that we humans like, but cats hate very much.

Therefore, we must pay attention and sort them in reverse order.

Top 8. Mint and menthol

These two things should be distinguished from catnip.

You can do a test on peppermint and menthol.

Generally, when a cat smells it, he will rush out and run away.

And smell the smell of catnip,

For some cats, it is very enjoyable.

Top 7. Eucalyptus

This tree, in China, is more commonly used as potted plants and essential oils.

To be honest, the indoor landscaping is still very beautiful.

It’s more Nordic style.

But the smell emitted by this tree is very annoying to cats.

The essential oil made from it is still toxic to cats.

Residents of many villa areas abroad use eucalyptus oil to drive away wild cats in their yards.

Top 6. Pine

Many cats hate this smell.

A special reminder is that pine cat litter seems to be selling well.

But some cats hate the smell and choose to poop outside the litter box.

Top 5. Onions and garlic

Vegetables in the onion family have a strong smell. In fact, many animals don’t like it, and cats are no exception.

If the concentration of this type of odor in the air is too high,

It will cause the cat to have a loss of appetite.

In addition, cats are not allowed to eat such vegetables, even a little bit, because they are very easy to be poisoned.

Top 4. Citrus

Oranges, lemons, oranges, etc., all fall into this categorydomain.

These fruits contain limonoids, volatile oils, and high concentrations of acidic substances that are harmful to cats.

Therefore, cats hate the smell of citrus fruits.

Fortunately, cats usually leave automatically when they smell this smell.

You don’t have to worry about them being poisoned by accidental ingestion.

Top 3. Banana

Bananas contain a lot of potassium. So don't give it to cats.

In addition, ripe banana peels contain a substance called ethyl acetate.

Through chemical action, the odor emitted contains a large amount of acetone.

However, cats hate the smell of acetone.

So, cats may not hate bananas,

But I really hate banana peels.

Top 2. Seasonings

There are many spices used for seasoning in the kitchen.

For example, mustard, chili oil, pepper, etc.

The smell of these spices is something cats dislike very much.

Investigate the reason,

The strong smell of spices is a very important reason.

Their sensitive sense of smell will directly amplify these smells many times,

You can imagine the following,

When we smell some spices, they feel quite strong.

Cats will amplify this momentum by more than ten times.

Such a strong momentum may even cause some cats to have difficulty breathing.

Some spices emit substances that are toxic.

For example, chili oil,

They all contain a substance called capsaicin.

It will be inhaled into the body by cats as the smell evaporates.

This will strongly stimulate the cat.

Top 1. Lavender

Many people like the smell of lavender,

There are also various kinds of aromatherapy, candles, cosmetics, and air purifiers that all have this smell.

But this smell is the most annoying to cats.

So,

If you have products with these odors at home, please use them in moderation.

As for thoseDo not use lavender-scented cat litter, which is mostly crystal litter. Some cats may not use it at all.

　02 Chemical smell

There are mainly three types of smells in this part.

I won’t do the sorting.

Category 1, soaps and detergents

Mopping floors, wiping cages, cleaning utensils,

You may use this kind of thing,

Therefore, try to choose products that are odorless or have a very light smell.

In addition, when bathing your cat, avoid using products with strong smells.

In fact, if you look at the cat care products, they are more high-end.

Almost all smells are very small.

The second category, deodorizing spray

This type of product generally has a strong smell.

Therefore, if it comes into direct contact with a cat’s nose, it will be very irritating to them.

Therefore, it is best to keep the windows open when using it.

In fact, the best way to remove odor is,

It is to enhance the circulation of indoor air.

The third category, drugs

Most medicines have a strong smell due to their ingredients.

Cats can even smell the smell of medicine on another cat.

So the cat who just came back from the clinic,

It is best to isolate for a period of time.

　03 Other smells

First, spoiled fish

So don’t feed stale fish to your cat. The same goes for canned fish.

Second, other cats

Cats establish relationships with each other through their sense of smell.

Familiar cats, you will notice,

They smell each other's butts.

But an unfamiliar cat smells unfamiliar,

It’s easy to fight directly.

Third, dirty cat litter box

Many cats will poop immediately after you shovel the poop.

​​Do you understand what I mean?

The most direct impact of unpleasant odors on cats is that it causes invisible stress.

Especially if you live in a house with an unpleasant smell for a long time,

For example, using cat litter with an unpleasant smell,

Stress can cause a series of problems,

Such as loss of appetite, excessive grooming, cystitis, etc.

The second relatively direct impact is respiratory problems.

Bad odors can cause cats to breathe quickly.

Which in turn puts pressure on the respiratory system,

Other symptoms that may occur include vomiting and drooling.

In short, one principle is the smell mentioned above,

Try to avoid appearing in the cat’s living area.

If it is unavoidable,

Just choose products with a lighter smell as much as possible.

​Always remember,

Their noses are more than ten times more sensitive than ours.

So,

What smells like nothing to you may be a stench to them!