Dhaka, May 29 -- A new study has found that domestic cats can distinguish between the scent of their owner and that of a stranger.

Conducted by Tokyo University of Agriculture, the research revealed that cats spent noticeably more time sniffing tubes containing the scent of unfamiliar individuals than those with their owner's odour.

According to the researchers, this indicates that cats are capable of telling the difference between familiar and unfamiliar humans based on smell. However, it remains uncertain whether they can identify specific individuals.

While it is well established that cats use their keen sense of smell to recognise and interact with other cats, this study is among the first to explore whether they can also different...