Scientists uncover how cats identify each other by urine scent
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The findings, electronically published in Current Biology this week, may be applied to suppressing urine odor or monitoring rare feline species.
PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO - Domestic cats identify each other by sniffing their urine, as their urinary composition profiles are individually distinctive, according to a study published in a scientific journal.
A multinational research team including Japanese researchers has analysed urinary components that trigger flehmen grimace, also known as the “stinky face”, among cats, while observing their response when they sniff the urine of other individuals during experiments.
It was already known that cats obtain information of other individuals from sprayed urine but the details including specific components had been unclear.
The team found that combinations and proportions of certain branched-chain fatty acids, derived from a kidney reservoir, form unique odour marks that remain detectable for an extended period and differ from cat to cat.
Similar compounds were also found in the urine of other members of the feline family, such as lions, tigers and Iriomote cats, according to the researchers.
The findings, electronically published in Current Biology this week, may be applied to suppressing urine odor or monitoring rare feline species, they say.
“Starting from a facial expression familiar to cat owners, we were able to unravel how cats identify each other through urine,” said Masao Miyazaki, professor at Iwate University’s Faculty of Agriculture.
“Studying the mechanism of accumulation of fatty acids in kidneys may contribute to research on diseases of cats and humans,” he added. KYODO NEWS
