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Why does my cat smell my toes?

If your cat sniffs your toes a lot, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my cat sniff my toes? Possible reasons why your cat sniffs your toes are that you have an unusual smell or scent on your feet, it is greeting you or that it is marking its scent on you.

Your cat might sniff your toes for a number of different reasons and it might be the result of a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my cat sniff my toes?

Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely.

You have an unusual smell on you

The reason why your cat sniffs your toes could be that you have an unusual smell on you. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when you have just washed your feet or if it smells your toes when you have taken your socks off.

You have an unusual scent on you

It might also be the case that your cat sniffs your toes because you have an unusual scent on you. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when you have been around other people and animals and if it does not only sniff your toes.

Related: Why does my cat smell my ears?

To find out about you

Cats have around 9-16 times better smelling abilities than humans do (source). Dogs have been shown to be able to smell disease in humans (source). While cats do not have the same smelling capabilities as dogs, some people argue that cats are also able to smell certain diseases, so a part of the reason why your cat sniffs you could be to find out how healthy you are.

Related: Why does my cat smell my hair?

It wants to smell for food on you

Another possible reason is that your cat is trying to see if you have food on you. This would be more likely if your cat does it more when you have just arrived home or at around the same time that you would normally feed it.

To greet you

It might also be the case that your cat is just greeting you. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have just arrived home or when you have not seen it for a while. It would also be more likely if it gets you to pet it while lying or sitting down with you and it does things such as purr while doing it.

To mark its scent

Cats will, naturally, go around the house sniffing things and rubbing themselves against them. The reason why your cat has been sniffing your toes could be that it is marking its scent on to you so that other animals are less likely to enter its territory. This would be more likely if your cat also rubs itself against you.

Things to consider

Below are things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been sniffing your toes.

If your cat has always sniffed your toes

If your cat has not always sniffed your toes, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as if you started wearing socks less or interacting with your cat using your feet more.

The timing of when your cat sniffs your toes

It would also help to consider the timing of when your cat sniffs your toes. If your cat sniffs your toes more at a certain time, it would be likely that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it sniffs your toes more when you have just arrived home, it would be more likely that it is smelling for food and greeting you. Whereas, if it does it more when you are lying or sitting down, it would be more likely that it is marking its scent on to you and being affectionate.

What to do about your cat sniffing your toes

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Let it do it

Cats will naturally sniff and rub themselves against their surroundings a lot. It is likely that your cat has been sniffing your toes naturally. So, the easiest thing to do would be to just let it continue and to move it whenever it starts getting annoying.

Give it distractions

One option would be to give your cat things to be distracted by such as toys so that it is less likely to want to sniff your toes.

Redirect its focus

Another option would be to redirect its focus towards something else such as toys or to move it somewhere else when it seems likely to start sniffing your toes.