clever cat thursday - greetings friend or foe

On the not so odd occasion I do ponder the fact that cats (and dogs) in general take such great interest in the sniffing of... behinds.

Yes, I do know that cats (and even more so dogs) have a whole other olfactory world to handle than us measly humans can even imagine. But still, what's wrong with a little eye contact, meowing, paw shaking, tail wagging or possible lick on cheek, rubbing against eachother when meeting old friends? Especially those friends you share home with, the ones that just passed you on their way to the kitchen and back. But no, no other than a good showing of and sniffing the hind regions will do.

Or perhaps that behaviour is the perfect way to distinguish friend from foe? Perhaps that's just another example of model behaviour us slow catching humans can learn from the animal kingdom? Stop playing mind games, interpreting body language, reading between the lines, start the sniffing of bottoms.

Now, who wants to go first?