Cats Tell Each Other Apart by Scent of Urine Fatty Acids: Study in Japan

Cats likely identify one another by distinguishing unique types and ratios of fatty acids when they smell urine, an international group of researchers including members from Japan's Iwate University has said. The team's findings were published in the online edition of U.S. scientific journal Current Biology on Wednesday. Masao Miyazaki, a professor at the Japanese university, and other members of the team focused on the Flehmen response, shown by cats when they smell urine and other odorous substances with their mouths half-open.