Why does she HAVE to smell my breath?

Weird I know. Nora always insists on smelling my breath. Every time I eat something (like I just ate an Andes mint and she smelled it from across the room and sat up and sniffed the air), or every morning when I get up and have horrible morning breath, etc she wants to smell it. She'll even go as far as grabbing my face with her paws and pull me down so she can smell. Most of the time she gets into my lap and puts her face right next to my mouth and smells for about 5 seconds, other times she is lazy (like right now) and wants me to just blow at her so she can smell. LMAO She just wants to smell, and then goes on her merry way.

The only time she doesn't do this is when I'm drinking beer, b/c she HATES the smell of beer. I find it funny that she would rather smell my morning breath than smell beer. lol None of the other cats (or other pets for that matter) have ever cared what my breath smelled like. She also likes to smell any lotion or perfume I have on, so I will hold up my arm and blow across it towards her so she can smell it. She is a very "sniffy" cat.

Is there a reason behind why she likes to do this?

(feel free to move this, I wasn't sure where to put it)

My experience is that she is analyzing your physical and emotional health. Cats are very good at recognizing something amiss & will treat you accordingly. It is a sign that your cat considers herself to be very important in your life - just doin' her duty, just makin' sure all is well with your world

My cats do that to everyone that comes into my home ....... its hilarious to me. They dont give up either until they can smell your breath

I have one who does that too! Mr. Grey always smells my breath. He usually does it at night when I'm sleeping/waking up, but that might just be because that is when he can get close enough to my face.
Waking up with a cat IN YOUR FACE is a little disconcerting the first few times. I can see where people got the idea that cats 'steal your breath'!

Mira does this too, usually looking for food. If she smells food on my breath she'll stick her whole head in my mouth to look for it.

Aya usually sneaks up behind me while I'm sitting on the sofa eating, leans over my shoulder and sniffs. She'll even tap the side of my mouth gently with her paw if she thinks what I'm eating is interesting enough that she wants some or at least wants me to turn my head her way so she can investigate. It's really quite cute.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

Is there a reason behind why she likes to do this?

Click to expand...

She is a cat. She is inquisitive. She want to know what the hell you have been doing. In my forty years of cat ownersip it sounds to me like you have a very well adjusted cat. I will admit that Persi (the male) never does this but all of my female cats have always done this. So now the question becomes what could sex possibly have to do with this? I have no idea but you stated your cat was female and all my female cats have done this.

Sterling does it, too. Sticks his nose up my nose. I think he wants to know what I've been eating, where I've been, etc.

It's normal cat behavior. Smell is everything to cats and they can learn a lot about you by smelling your breath. Also they are imprinting your special scents into their brains. So it's all part of the bonding process.

Ever see a cat wash a spot that you have just touched him or her on? She isn't just washing OFF your scent, she is tasting you.

They love us, you know. We are their pride.

my cat just started doing this i wake up with her nose right up to my nose its so weird i thought she was stealing my breath ! she also didn't start kneading until she was 2 yrs of age i don't know why her behavors get stranger the older she gets lol . 

My eldest cat Cheska does it fairly regularly. She jumps up onto my lap and, usually before settling down, has to shove her nose into my mouth to sniff my breath. I've heard it's do with checking your overall health. If so, that's adorably cute. It's cute anyway. Being a female, Cheska also seems to reinforce the theory that this is a girl cat thing...

By the way, I'm new here. Hello everyone!

Tiger is a male and he does it every chance he gets even pushing his way in front of whatever you are doing just so he can get a good whiff

My friend used to say on a private FB group that her cat was trying to sniff her breath, but she didn't let him unless he was insistent. My Dublin sniffs my breath, & I let him. I don't see the problem with it, & I chuckle sometimes when he seems to try to get his whole head in there. He seems to do this either just after I've eaten or if I've had a rough day & I seem to be getting better. So maybe at those times he's checking to see how I'm doing, if I'm truly getting better. Like other cats, he has empathy with me & does all he can to make sure that I'm fine & looked after. It's just him & me & our bond is very strong. I like the idea that a cat sniffing his human's breath is a way to check on the person's emotional health & the like. This does seem to be true, at least in part.

No offense, but I wouldn't smell your breath after you've had a beer either! ;-)

My cat Raz loves to do that too he will jump on my lap love on me then force my mouth open by shoving his nose between my lips so I've given up and every time he goes towards my face I open my mouth and he shoves his face into my mouth and smell for a few seconds its funny as ever

I think this thread is old but anyway...

Macha loves to smell my breath too, then she will pause and then here she comes smelling me again....I wonder why? LOL

I know and I am very sure I brush my teeth three times a day! 

My cat was owned by someone who did not take good care of him for about 2 years.

He roamed the streets unfixed, getting in fights and nearly getting killed.

My friend rescued him, had him cleaned up at the vets and fixed.

But now living with two men, they did not like the cat coming up on the bed to sit on their chests and thus tossed pillows at him.

The cat and his owner came to live with me in 2011. The cat is around 10 now.

He never was the type to come up to your chest, always lays on the bottom corner of the bed, on the top of the comforter, but once in a while exhibits this behavior.

The other night I was fixing to watch a show on my iPad at 9 PM but fell asleep for the first 15 minutes, because I had not gotten much sleep the night before as I had been sick.

I awoke to find my kitty sitting in front of me up at the TOP of the bed, on the sheet where he is not allowed, between my face and the iPad which was propped up on a pillow.

He was gently sniffing my face, my nose, my mouth and then he even pawed gently at my shoulder a few times. Then he laid down right there.

This might not sound unusual to those whose cats were raised from kittens, but for me it says that i have created a real bond with this animal and that he too was checking to see why I was sleeping. Who knows how many times he's done it when I did not wake up to see?

He sticks by me especially when I'm alone in the house, lets me know when he wants to be brushed, which is often, meows for attention when I'm on the phone or when the door to the cellar is shut (his box is down there) even if he doensn't need to use it!

I am told the cat has a real bond with me as I do pay much more attention to him than the men did, diddling him and caressing him and he seems to like it and has become more affectionate. I long for the day when he WILL sit on my lap or chest. Right now he will sit between us on the couch while watching TV, and exhibits much more on his back suppliance than at first.

I love my kitty.

I used to have a dog that would not go near anybody who was drunk or who had been drinking.
If he smelled the least little bit of alcohol on you he would sulk away and go hide in the corner.

I'm sure that your cats are just being curious and friendly and just want to know what you've been eating but they could also be trying to find out whether it's safe to be around a particular human.

We have all heard stories about dogs and cats that could tell when a diabetic person was falling into a diabetic coma or when an epileptic person was about to have a seizure. Who knows? Maybe your kitty could save your life, some day!