Feline Communication

Lecture Notes

Cats have several types of specialized skin glands that are important for olfactory communication. These include the submandibular under the chin, the perioral glands at the corners of their mouth, the temporal glands, and the sebaceous glands along the base of their tail. The interdigital glands are located between the pads of the feet. When a cat rubs their face and head on objects the secretions of these glands are deposited as scent marks. The behavior of head rubbing on objects is called bunting. Many cats will direct head bunting towards their owner's legs and objects where the cat spends a lot of time, such as the couch, windowsill, and areas of entry and exit.