Monday we focused on a cat’s ability to see beyond what we see. Tuesday, we discussed the cat’s amazing hearing. Another super power cats possess is their sense of smell. In fact, I wonder how our cats can even stand to use their litter box when I need a clothespin on my nose to even clean it. Yes, I clean the litter boxes regularly, but whew! Sometimes they’re pretty ripe. Maybe cats have a way of holding their little noses.
Cats sure do use their noses. Have you ever noticed that a cat will smell their plate of food or a handout they’re offered before taking a bite? Lily and Sophie will stand at the screen door or an open window and sniff the air with their heads held high, I guess to determine what sort of critter is out and about in our yard. And our cats use their cute little noses to identify visitors.
They generally go to another room when someone visits our home. But as soon as the 
guest leave—I mean immediately—here come Lily and Sophie with wriggling noses. Even though they might have been out of sight the entire time the visitor was here, they go straight to the spot the guest was sitting and sniff the area for several seconds.
I’ll never forget the evening some neighbors come by with their children to exchange Christmas gifts. They gave us an ornament, which I hung on the tree. The Christmas tree had been up and decorated for a week by then, so the cats were accustomed to it. And that night, after our friends left, here came the cats. They did their usual sniffing around the areas where the people had been sitting and the children had been playing, then one of them walked directly to the new ornament and examined it.
How did he know that ornament was new or that these people had brought it? Actually, I don’t know what he knew—but he sure seemed to recognize that the ornament was a new addition to our house. Was it by sight, by scent, or by telepathy?
Here are a couple of sites where you can learn more about your cat’s amazing sense of smell. https://www.thesprucepets.com/sense-of-smell-552117
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-facts-cats-noses-sense-of-smell-pictures-photos
One of the most interesting things I learned from this research is that cats have unique nose-prints. No two cat’s nose prints are the same. So if you ever wanted to find out which of your cats has been “nosing” around in your belongings. Just take nose prints and you’ll surely find the culprit.
Speaking of a cat’s nose—did you know that a cat can sniff out drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and, of course, catnip every bit as well as a dog can? They have all of the same capabilities as dogs do—and cats have been—and may still be—used for this purpose. Only problem is they aren’t as easy to train as a dog is. As we’ve reported here, cats have also been known to sniff out cancer and, certainly, the scent of someone or an animal that is dying. And you thought the nose on your cat’s face was there just to make her more adorable.
