New Research Explains Why Sprayed Cat Urine Emits Pungent Odor.

Spraying urine on vertical objects by raising the tail is a commonly observed functional behavior for chemical communication in felids, including domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus). The sprayed urine is recognized as a chemical signal for territorial ownership of their habitats. Previous studies reported that sprayed urine emits a more pungent odor than urine excreted from a squatting position. However, little is known about how sprayed urine acts as a strong scent mark in the environment. New research shows that sprayed urine originates only from bladder urine without any secretions, but it can effectively emit volatile organic compounds when smeared on vertical objects due to its strong adhesion.

In the study, lead author Professor Masao Miyazaki from Iwate University and colleagues initially compared the chemical profiles of volatile organic compounds emitted from sprayed urine, normal urine, and bladder urine collected using ureteral catheters.

Chemical analyses revealed a high degree of similarity in these profiles within the same individuals.

Behavioral analyses further demonstrated that cats perceived the sprayed urine and urine remaining in the bladder after spraying as similar odors, whereas the odors of another cat’s urine were perceived as different.

“The data indicate that the sprayed urine originates from bladder urine without supplementation with chemicals from other secretory glands,” Professor Miyazaki said.

Given the high degree of similarity of volatile chemical profiles between sprayed urine and naturally normal urine, the researchers examined why sprayed urine emits a pungent odor from another perspective.

They observed that cat urine samples easily adhered to the inner surface of plastic syringes when they transferred the samples into glass vials for urinary volatile analyses.

“This observation prompted us to explore the underlying mechanisms,” said first author Dr. Reiko Uenoyama, a researcher at Iwate University.

Twenty years ago, Professor Miyazaki discovered that healthy cats excrete a substantial amount of an urinary protein named cauxin, which contributes to the production of sulfur-containing odorants responsible for the distinct catty smell.

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