Most pet cats form strong bonds with their caretakers and appear to find their presence reassuring. However, unlike human babies, cats don’t accept scent alone as a worthy stand-in for the people they have bonded with, says Kristyn Vitale at Unity College in Maine.
“Olfaction is an important sense for cats, and it’s related to their social behaviour, but in our study, [owner-scented objects] did not have a stress-reducing effect,” she says. “The smell might even make matters worse for some cats.”
— Read more in Cats refuse to snuggle with objects that smell like their owners at NewScientist.
When we took our kitten to the vet for the first time, I put a shirt of mine in the carrier to comfort him while we were separated (the vet wasn’t allowing anyone inside) and he looked at me like “…what is THIS for?” I replaced it with his blanket the next time we went and he was much more relaxed! Cats are much more comforted by their own scents than anything else. There’s even a spray that mimics their cheek scenting pheromones.
Interesting!
And then I smell the collar of my departed pups and it’s the most relaxing scent in the world. Guess I ain’t a cat!