A critical part of the senses is the nose of the Maine Coon. Cats can smell about fourteen times better than humans! They use their nose to detect food, but also to detect smells of other animals. A cat still has the remains of another organ in its palate, with which another kind of ‘smells’ can be identified: the organ of Jacobson. This organ can perceive pheromones. Pheromones are odorless fragrances, which provide information about the other cat (for example, the sex of the cat). A cat doesn’t ‘flush’ (smell with its mouth open) until it has first smelled something with its nose, which requires further examination; for example, a cat’s urine can stimulate a cat to open its mouth so that it can ‘smell’ the pheromones. The male can then, for example, notice that the female is almost in heat.
Cats don’t only give off pheromones by urinating, but also by giving cups and scratching. On the body of the cat, there are several glands scattered, which give off a fatty substance at every contact. Cats communicate by releasing pheromones. It is a means of creating a group odor and marking its territory.