Overview

• In tests with 30 domestic cats, Tokyo University of Agriculture researchers presented plastic tubes containing owner and stranger scent swabs from armpits, ears and paws.
• Cats spent more time investigating unfamiliar odors and shifted from right to left nostril use as scents became familiar, demonstrating lateralized olfactory processing.
• Male cats rated as neurotic on the Feline Five scale engaged in repetitive sniffing while more agreeable males assessed scents with a single pass.
• Many subjects rubbed their faces against the tubes after sniffing, suggesting that exploratory olfactory behavior precedes scent-marking.
• The study paves the way for investigations into the neural mechanisms behind olfactory lateralization and sensory integration in domestic cats.