Volatile faecal components related to sex and age in domestic cats (Felis catus)

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.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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