A group of chemicals called branched-chain fatty acids (BFAs) help give cats their unique scent marks, a new study found. Unusual fat droplets in the cats' kidneys likely help them maintain that chemical fingerprint in each mark. The researchers reported their findings Aug.ust 19 in the journal Current Biology.
"The way I think of the mouse proteins is kind of equivalent to a human face," said Michael Sheehan, a neurobiologist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study. While a person might recognize someone they know well from less obvious signals such as their hairstyle or the way they walk, people typically recognize others by their faces. "My hunch is probably these branched-chain fatty acids from the cat urine [are] the same deal," Sheehan told Live Science.
The researchers found that cats showed the flehmen response less often, on average, the more they encountered the same urine sample from another cat, but the response increased when urine from a new cat was introduced.
The team then used a technique known as high-performance liquid chromatography to split a sample of cat urine into its components, and then showed the cats each part of this sample. Cats consistently showed the flehmen response when they smelled a portion that contained a handful of branched-chain fatty acids.
Related storiesEach cat had a unique mix of BCFAs in its urine, and these BFAs remained stable for at least a day after the cat left a scent mark, the scientists found. This suggested BFAs could leave information about the cat that made the mark, even after the rest of the urine had evaporated.
Large cats, including lions and tigers, also have BFAs and lipid droplets in their renal cortices. The specific BCFAs and the number of droplets differed among species, however, which suggests that these features may have diversified as cats evolved.
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