While there is no definitive scientific evidence to support the claim that cats can sense early pregnancy in humans, many pet owners have reported changes in their cat’s behavior during pregnancy. These changes range from increased affection to protective behavior towards their pregnant owners. Cats have heightened senses, including a keen sense of smell (14 times stronger than humans) and unique hearing abilities (detecting high-frequency sounds up to 64 kHz).
When a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes hormonal changes that produce new scents unfamiliar to her cat. Because of their extremely sensitive sense of smell, cats may become more attentive, affectionate, and even possessive of their owners during pregnancy. However, these observations are anecdotal, and more research is needed to confirm whether cats can truly detect pregnancy or if their behavior changes are influenced by other factors. 🐱🤰
The question then is not whether cats can detect a change in their owner’s smell but how they understand that the change in smell means that their owner is pregnant. 😻
That is a tricky one and I am pretty sure that there is no hard science on this. We have to be satisfied with anecdotal evidence which isn’t bad because it is based on the personal experiences of probably thousands of pregnant women.
I can fully accept that domestic cats can sense that their owner’s body odour has changed. To cats our body odour is vitally important. They smell us all the time. Their sense of smell is as important as their eyesight in identifying objects and living creatures.
Perhaps we should just say that cats know that their owner has changed a bit and they might sense that they need to become protective as a mother cat becomes protective of their offspring because they may believe their owner is sick. It may be a reversal of roles. The usual roles are owner is mother and cat is kitten. Sometimes these roles flip and the cat becomes the mother.
It has been suggested that this happens when an adult cat brings prey home. They do this to show their kitten (you😹) how to kill prey which is exactly what happens in the wild when the female raises her young in preparing them for independence.
There are two main reasons a pregnant woman might smell different:
- Hormonal changes: Pregnancy triggers a surge of hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone. These hormones can increase blood flow and sweating, which can lead to stronger body odor. They can also cause changes in vaginal discharge, which may have a different scent than usual.
- Heightened sense of smell: Pregnancy can also make a woman’s sense of smell much more sensitive. This can make her more aware of her own natural odors, as well as more bothered by strong external smells.
Here are some additional things to know:
- Not all pregnant women experience changes in body odor.
- If a pregnant woman notices a very strong or unpleasant smell, it could be a sign of an infection and she should consult a doctor.
- There are things a pregnant woman can do to manage changes in body odor, such as showering more frequently, wearing breathable clothing, and using deodorant.
There is an important side topic to mention: toxoplasmosis and the potential transmission of the disease from cat feces to pregnant human. A toxoplasmosis infection is potentially very dangerous to a pregnant mum but it can be avoided with common sense precautions. Click on link below.
RELATED: Toxoplasmosis is a risk management exercise for the pregnant mum
