These two senses are considered indivisible in carnivores. Taste, which is not highly developed, complements the sense of smell.
A cat's sense of smell is not as effective as a dog's. In the cat's predatory activity, this sense takes third place behind sight and hearing. Still, the cat's sense of smell is by no means underdeveloped. It plays an important role in the animal's social relationships and is involved in eating. Any disturbance to the sense of smell will cause the cat to refuse food.
The cat is a so-called macrosmatic species, in which the olfactory region of the brain occupies a large portion with relation to the entire developed brain. This ratio is approximately 6, versus 0.3 in humans, for example. The cat's odor detection threshold is very low, although variable based on the odorous substance and on learning. When the concentration of the odorous substance increases, so does sensation, but much more slowly. Smell is therefore a subtle, qualitative sensation. But odor is not as well quantified. The sensation occurs approximately one-half second after the perceived volatile substance comes into contact with the mucosa. After a certain period (one to two hours) of intense stimulation, the receptors become desensitized. This olfactory fatigue occurs with all odors. Adaptation occurs when an odor that is constantly present is no longer perceived (due to a gradual increase in the detection threshold).
By nature, odor molecules are volatile substances at normal temperatures. They reach the olfactory organ, located above and behind the nasal fossae, during inhalation. Another point of access is the so-called retronasal passage, through which air reaches the olfactory organ during exhalation. When the oral cavity contains food, this process contributes to the sense of taste.
The interaction between odor molecules and the receptors in the mucosa triggers an electric phenomenon, creating a sort of computer card called an olfactory image. This card is carried by the olfactory nerve, then read thoroughly and interpreted by the brain. The image is so rich in possibilities that it could code countless different odors. The cat's ability to discriminate odors is considerable. It can recognize even the most complex chemical mixtures.
The sense of taste is developed in cats, which have over four hundred taste buds. It is commonly accepted that cats can detect the four basic taste sensations: sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Sour and bitter sensations are very well perceived, much better than in dogs, making cats very wary with regard to possible toxins.
Salty flavors are also detected by the entire tongue surface. Sweet flavors are recognized only at high concentrations. These thresholds fit well with the carnivorous diet of cats, which may also have specific receptors for certain compounds in meat that they require (such as taurine).
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