Why Does My Cat Sniff My Eye? Top 4 Reasons

Cats have some weird and unusual habits that are beyond the understanding of the human mind. They have their unique way of showing love and affection to their owner.

One of the weirdest habits that cat owners have come across is their cat coming too close to their face to not only lick it but also to sniff their eye.

Even though there has been no particular logic or reason behind this weird or unusual activity, people have come up with certain assumptions.

Does your cat also sniff your eye, and are you unsure about the reason or find it strange? Read this article to find out the possible causes of cat sniffing your eye.

Why does my cat sniff my eye?

If you do not want to read the whole article, here’s the short version:

Why Does My Cat Sniff My Eye? Your cat sniff your eyes may be because of something she has been seeing in your eyes, or probably a sense of relaxation. You can find out more reasons below

Cats are blessed with a strong sense of smell and have an inclination towards sniffing almost everything. They are also extremely protective and possessive of their owners.

They sniff their owners to recognize them and also to see if their owner smells of any other cat or dog. When you return home after long hours, they will sniff you to ensure that you haven’t pet other animals.

Cats have a territorial instinct and maybe jealous if they get a whiff of any other animal on your clothes. However, sniffing is not limited only to your clothes.

They have a strong sense of smell and even sniff their owner’s mouth, sometimes their butt and even eyes. A lot of pet parents find this unusual and strange.

They are unable to fathom the reason behind their cats sniffing their eyes. Feline parents often tell that their cats come close to their face to sniff their eyes while they are awake or even asleep at times; even though they find this funny and cute, the reason behind this is no less than a mystery to them.

Cats usually sniff their beloved humans due to several reasons—the primary reason being the sense of recognition and attachment to their owners.

They can recognize their owner due to their unique smell. Your cat usually sniffs your eye to make sure that it’s you, the human who takes care of her and feeds her.

As soon as they smell the familiar scent of their owner, they will instantly relax and calm down and may even come close to snuggling with you. Also, many people say that cats can detect any infection or disease.

So one of the main reasons behind your cat sniffing your eye could be the possibility of an eye infection. She will sniff your eye if she is curious and suspects any eye infection. A lot of times your cat will also sniff your eye to smell the tears.

1) Recognition

 

Cats use their sense of smell to become familiar with their surroundings and the people. The easiest way for your cat to recognize her owner is through his scent.

Your cat will sniff your eye to smell the familiar scent and to make sure that it’s you. If the owner does not stay home too often, the cat will frequently sniff him to recognize him. Sniffing is also associated with love and affection.

2) Relaxation

Another theory behind cats’ unusual sniffing habit is a sense of relaxation. Pet owners often feel that as soon as their cat smells a familiar scent, it offers them a sense of ease and helps them to calm down. So if your cat is feeling uneasy or uncomfortable, she will snuggle close to you for the familiar smell.

3) Infection

Animals have instincts concerning dangers or anything harmful. They come to know about it beforehand.

Similarly, cats are also able to detect anything unusual, especially when it concerns their owners. Even, cats can see self-groom; their saliva has healing properties.

They will sniff you to check if you are alright and are free of any diseases or infections. At times, cats also sniff their owner’s eye to check for any eye infection.

4) Tears

You must have often heard or watched a video on social media where a cat was comforting her owner and licking the tears off his face.

So, the other reason why your cat sniffs your eye might be due to the salty scent of tears. Cats are attracted to strong smells, and if she sees you sad or crying, she might come close to your face to sniff your eyes.

Conclusion

Let’s agree – our cats do have a lot of wired behaviors like watching him to eat, or biting your blanket etc. & sometimes we become clueless right? You do not need to worry, however. That’s because the majority of these habits are less risky and completely normal.

Pets also have a habit of snooping around the house. Courtesy to their strong sense of smell, you will always find them sniffing each and everything around the house.

Not only objects, cats even have a habit of sniffing their owners. They sniff their owner’s eyes a lot of times.

One of the main reasons behind this could be to recognize and make sure that the person is their owner. Sometimes, cats also sniff eyes to smell that familiar scent to relax instantly. They will even sniff to check whether you have an eye infection or not.