Why my cat smells things and opens his mouth?

Question

i have a cat, he smells the tv unit and the sweeping brush and he opens his mouth.. that's wierd.. anybody knows why?

Answer 1

It is called Flehman...even big cats do this. More info below:

The Flehman Response

All felines have a special organ at the top of their mouth called the vomeronasal or Jacobson's Organ. That "James Cagney" look you sometimes see on your cat when his upper lip lifts and his nostrils twitch is called the Flehman Response, or just plain Flehman and he's using his Jacobson's Organ to sniff out something: a potential mate (a female in oestrus), a strange cat in his territory, or an unusual odor. (Cats aren't the only animals with a Jacobson's Organ. They're also found in snakes and some bats, as well as other mammals.)

Answer 2

Cats have smell receptors on the roof of their mouth. Opening their mouth gives them more access to scents and a stronger sense of smell.

Answer 3

When cats open their mouths, its a better way of smelling for them. So he's still smelling, he's just doing it a different way. I've noticed my cats do this when they're around something stinky!

Answer 4

not weird at all, they have sensors in their mouth that help them smell also, so when they open their mouth to smell they can smell better. dogs do the same thing. I think it works for humans too, lol wouldn't it look funny if we all smelled flowers with our mouths open like that?

Answer 5

This is called the Flehman response (hope I spelled it right). It is also called Stinky Face! LOL! The Flehman response, or Stinky Face, is given in response to a strong odor. It is when the cat sort of "clears" the scent from its nose. Big cats do this, too.

Answer 6

I've always been curious about this because my cat does it too. We get the biggest laugh when she does it--it's hilarious!

Answer 7

My cat used to do the same, that's normal. Maybe it is trying to figure out if it is his litter... Don't mind.