Cat pheromone

Cat attractants.

Chemical structure of nepetalactone Chemical structure of dihydronepetalactone Nepetalactone Dihydronepetalactone Chemical structure of epinepetalactone Chemical structure of neonepetalactone Epinepetalactone Neonepetalactone Chemical structure of isodihydronepetalactone Isodihydronepetalactone Chemical structure of (−)-mitsugashiwalactone Chemical structure of onikulactone (−)-Mitsugashiwalactone Onikulactone Chemical structure of iridomyrmecin Chemical structure of boschnialactone Iridomyrmecin Boschnialactone Chemical structure of actinidiolid Chemical structure of dihydroactinidiolide Actinidiolide Dihydroactinidiolide Chemical structure of actinidine Chemical structure of boschniakine Actinidine Boschniakine

Cat pheromones are pheromones that are used by cats and other felids for cat communication.

Feline facial pheromone

Feline facial pheromone is a pheromone used by cats to mark places, objects, and persons as familiar by rubbing their face on surfaces. Several pheromones are currently known to exist as "feline facial pheromones" and are produced from glands located around the mouth, chin, forehead and cheeks.

These are only some of the many pheromones that cats produce. Others are from lower back, tail and paws. For more information see cat communication.

"Cat attractants"

File:Catnip-effects.jpg

A domestic cat demonstrating the effects of catnip such as rolling, pawing, and frisking

Cat attractants are odorants that have an effect on cat behavior. A cat presented with a cat attractant may roll in it, paw at it, or chew on the source of the smell. The effect is usually relatively short, lasting for only a few minutes after which the cats have a refractory period during which the response cannot be elicited. After 30 minutes to two hours, susceptible cats gain interest again.

The volatile chemicals that are currently known to cause these behavioral effects in cats are actinidine from Valeriana officinalis, nepetalactone from Nepeta cataria (catnip), dihydronepetalactone, neonepetalactone, isodihydronepetalactone, epinepetalactone, boschnialactone, boschniakine, dihydroactinidiolide, actinidiolide, iridomyrmecin, (−)-mitsugashiwalactone, and onikulactone.

Cat urine odorants

Cat urine-like odorants
Chemical structure of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol Chemical structure of 4-methoxy-2-methylbutane-2-thiol 4-Methoxy-2-methylbutane-2-thiol Chemical structure of 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one 4-Mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one

Cat urine, especially that of male cats, contains the putative cat pheromone 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol (MMB), a compound that gives cat urine its typical odor. The MMB precursor felinine is synthesized in the urine from 3-methylbutanol-cysteinylglycine (3-MBCG) by the excreted peptidase cauxin. Felinine then slowly degrades into the volatile MMB.

Rats and mice are highly averse to the odor of a cat's urine, but after infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, they are attracted by it, highly increasing the likelihood of being preyed upon and of infecting the cat.

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Felinine	MMB

See also

• Pheromone
• Catnip