Cat Urine Catches Mice
A new study in Prague, Czech Republic shows that mice that have been exposed to the scent of cat urine are less likely to escape from the felines. When baby mice whiff a chemical in the liquid waste of the cats they do not run away to avoid the strong odor, and are thus unable to get away from the cat predators. Young mice that are less than 2 weeks old are in the “critical period” of their physical development. The little rodents experience positive reinforcement when they sniff the odor while being fed mother’s milk. Later in life they do not try to escape the felines when they smell the distinct cat odor.
The molecule L-Felinine causes the mice’s behavior. Even though the adult mice do not show signs of fear or run away from the cat smell they still undergo hormonal changes throughout their lives. The smelly liquid can reduce the litter size and even block pregnancy, according to Science World Report. Neurons in the mouse’s brain detect chemicals in the cat pee. This triggers an increase in the rodents’ stress hormone levels and this has existed for thousands of years.
