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.