The couple may mate hundreds of times over several days, but afterward, when they return to the pride, they show no special interest in each other. When a male cat opens his mouth and wrinkles his nose, it may mean he smells a receptive female. By smelling through a special organ in the roof of its mouth, a male cat senses when a female is ready to mate. This behavior is called flehmen . Two tiny openings in the palate allow the scented air to reach it.
Nerves then carry the news to the olfactory part of the brain, where the scent is recognized.
Produced by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County . This page was made possible by a grant from Friskies PetCare Company and the National Science Foundation.