My cat is still, 3 years after rescue, very, very nervous. But he is VERY curious about scents.
The other night Cherokeepatti commented here about olives...and all of a sudden I thought I would die if I didn't eat an olive! My cat didn't know what that smell was!
He walked back and forth across my lap, and kept trying to creep up my chest to smell my breath, and then he would stop himself.
It was a joyous moment for me when he finally felt brave enough to creep up my chest ALL the way, and carefully sniffed my breath. BTW, he thinks green olives are disgusting...馃槀
If I hug my cat, (which he now allows, but only while he is sitting on the arm of my chair), he will raise his head and sniff the place where my hair meets my forehead.