JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH, 2018
VOL. 46, NO. 1, 766–770
https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2017.1398656
Volatile faecal components related to sex and age in domestic cats (Felis catus)
Katsuji Uetakea
, Tomonari Abumib
, Takehito Suzukia
, Shin Hisamatsuc and Minoru Fukudad
a
School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan; b
Narita Bio Center, Kitayama Labes Co., Ltd., Tomisato, Chiba, Japan; c
School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan; d
Sumitomo Chemical Garden Products Inc., Tokyo, Japan
ABSTRACT
Volatile components of faeces from 55 domestic entire cats (36 males and 19 females) aged 1–12 were
investigated using gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer headspace techniques. Twenty-four volatile
organic compounds were found in the faecal samples. There was no significant difference in complexity,
in terms of the number of compounds detected, between males (mode: 23, median: 23, quartile range:
0.6) and females (23, 21, 2.0). On the other hand, males (15.0, 13.0, 8.9) had a significantly (P < .05)
higher concentration (mg/kg) of 1-butanol than females (11.0, 7.1, 3.1). In male cats, the concentrations
of six compounds were significantly correlated with age: 1-propanol (rs = 0.409, P < .05), methyl
propionate (rs = 0.464, P < .01), propionic acid (rs = 0.443, P < .01), ethyl propionate (rs = 0.333, P < .05),
phenol (rs = 0.370, P < .05), and indole (rs = 0.467, P < .01). Similar correlations were not found for the
females. These results suggest that domestic cats get information about the sex and age of males via
the volatile organic compounds of faeces.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 11 July 2017
Accepted 23 October 2017
KEYWORDS
Cats; faecal odour; ageing;
volatile organic compounds
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