Many animals have highly developed olfactory systems. A human's olfactory system is about one inch in area. A cat's olfactory system is about 2.24 square inches (14 sq. centimeters) and a dog's is about 24 square inches (150 square centimeters).
Each nostril in a dog's nose contains scroll-like passages with millions of receptor cells lining them. These bones, located in the upper part of the nose, are called turbinate bones. Using these, dogs can separate out and recognize specific smells. A dog's memory is sharp when it comes to scents. Dogs are often trained to track scents. We've all heard of cadaver dogs and drug-sniffing dogs.
Some dogs also have the ability to recognize illness in people. I read a story about a woman whose dog would not stop sniffing the back of her leg. It turned out that she had a cancerous tumor below the skin on that leg, and the dog noticed the difference in scent there. Her dog saved her life. For more on how scents are used in dog training and information on how people and animals react to scents, click on the link below:
So what's any of this got to do with fragrances and animals? As far as flower-based fragrances go, not much. Other chemically-based fragrances can cause a reaction in animals. Some perfumes are harmful to the health of your pet. Cats can develop athsma from fragrance. For information on feline asthma, click on this link:
If you are planning on camping out in an area where bears and wolves are prevalent, don't wear or bring perfume. The scent will draw them to your campsite and could cause them to attack. The chemicals in some fragrances can incite an "alarm" response in wild animals. For camping tips, click on this weblink:
Perfume may have played a part in the attack of Diane Whipple, a young woman from San Francisco. She was mauled to death by her neighbors' dogs. The owners of the dogs contend that she was wearing some type of pheromone-based perfume on the day she was attacked. This has not been proven. For more on this story, click here:
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