If your cat has been smelling your blanket a lot, this post will show you possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat smell my blanket? Possible reasons why your cat smells your blanket are that it likes the scent, the smell calms it down, it is marking its territory, or that it does it naturally.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat smells your blanket and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat smells your blanket
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat smells your blanket and what would make them more likely.
It likes the scent
It is likely that your blanket has a strong scent on it. Since cats have a stronger sense of smell than we do, it is likely that your cat is picking up on the scent on your blanket. This would be more likely if your cat also smells things that have your scent on such as your shoes and clothes.
Separation anxiety
Another possible reason is that smelling your scent causes your cat to calm down. This would be more likely if your cat tends to smell your blanket more at times when it might be anxious such as when you are leaving home. It would also be more likely if it smells other things with your scent on such as your shoes or pillows.
It is marking its territory
Cats have sweat glands on the face. It might be the case that your cat has been sniffing your blanket because it is actually marking its scent on to it. This would be more likely if your cat also rubs itself against your blanket when it does it.
Nature
Cats will naturally sniff smelly things a lot because cats gather information about things through their sense of smell. The reason why your cat smells your blanket could also be that it naturally likes to sniff things that are smelly. This would be more likely if your cat also sniffs other smelly things a lot around the house such as dirty washing or the floor.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been smelling your blanket.
If your cat has always smelled your blanket
If your cat has not always sniffed your blanket, it would help to consider if anything else changed when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as using a new washing liquid with a different smell.
What is different when your cat does not smell your blanket
If your cat tends to smell your shoes more at a certain time, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it shortly after you have washed it, your cat might be picking up on the smell.
What to do about your cat smelling your blanket
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Keep it out of reach
One option would be to keep your blanket somewhere where your cat cannot get to when you are not using it.
Redirect its focus
Another option would be to redirect its focus towards something else when it seems likely to start sniffing your blanket. Things you could redirect its focus towards could include toys.
Let it do it
It is normal for cats to sniff things. If your cat has not been doing it excessively and it has been behaving normally otherwise, it would likely be normal behavior. In this case, it would be the easiest option to just let your cat sniff your blanket when it wants to.