If your cat has been smelling everything, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat sniff everything? Likely reasons why your cat sniffs everything are that it does it naturally to find out what other animals have been around, and to mark its own scent.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat smells everything and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my cat sniff everything?
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat smells everything and what you can do about them.
Nature
Cats will naturally sniff their surroundings a lot. Cats sniff their surroundings naturally so that they can find out what other animals and people have been around. The reason why your cat has been sniffing things is likely to be due to natural behavior. This would be more likely if your cat has always done it and it does not seem to have started doing it suddenly.
Related: Why does my cat smell my blanket?
It smells the scent of other people and animals
Another possible cause is that your cat can smell the scent of other people and animals that have been around. This would be more likely if your cat sniffs things more after other people have come over.
It smells food
Another possible cause is that your cat smells food. This would be more likely if your cat smells a specific area and if it tends to do it more at a certain time such as in the kitchen after you have been cooking or when someone dropped food on the floor.
Related: Why does my cat smell the floor?
It is marking its territory
The reason why your cat does it might also be that it is marking its own scent around the house. This would be more likely if your cat also rubs itself against things when it is doing it.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always smelled everything
If your cat has not always smelled everything, 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 new smells around the house due to having guests over.
What is different when your cat does not smell everything
If your cat seems to do it more at a certain time, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it when you have just arrived home, it might be the case that it is trying to find out if you have brought food back.
What to do about your cat smelling everything
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Keep your things out of reach
One option would be to keep things that you do not want your cat to sniff out of reach or by putting them in wardrobes or boxes.
Redirect its focus
Another option would be to redirect its focus towards something else when it seems likely to start sniffing things you don’t want it to. Things you could redirect its focus towards could include toys.
Let it do it
It is natural for cats to sniff around the house and most cats do it. If your cat has not been behaving unusually in other ways, it is likely natural behavior. In this case, it would likely be the easiest option to just allow your cat to naturally sniff things around the house and to keep things you do not want it to sniff out of reach.