The tomcat with the smelliest urine attracts the most females for mating
Big boss cat in Japan. I am sure he has the smelliest pee. He looks unneutered (jowly). Photo by David Panevin.
Female cats are choosy when they select a tomcat to be the father of her kittens. It’s the same with female humans. Tomcats therefore need to advertise their suitability to the females. They probably do this through their pungent urine, which they spray horizontally on prominent objects in their territory. Which tomcat comes out on top and gets the girl? The one with the smelliest urine.
This is because a tomcat with the smelliest urine is the best fed cat amongst males. In turn this is because he is able to survive better than most, an essential and attractive quality for a female cat as she wants her offspring to survive more capably (this is my observation).
The reason why a tomcat who eats well has pungent urine requires a trip to the chemistry classroom. A chemical called ‘felinine’ is generated in the cat’s bladder by a protein called ‘cauxin’.
Felinine is made of two amino acids: cysteine and methionine. They both contain the sulphur atom which is what gives the urine it pungent odour.
Cats can neither make cysteine nor methionine for themselves. The amount of felinine they have is dictated by the amount of high protein in their diet. This is determined by how good a hunter he is. Thus the tomcat with the most pungent urine is the best hunter and best able to survive and provide. He is the most capable. He gets the girl.
At present, scientists don’t know how a female matches the urine with the male who deposited it. It is believed that there is some signal in the urine other than the pungent sulphur compounds that gives the female the information to recognise the male who has the smelliest pee.
Females are naturally attracted to males with high testosterone levels. Lionesses seem to prefer males with dark manes. The color of a lion’s mane directly correlates with his health and testosterone. The similarity between lions and domestic cats is not surprising.
Thanks wildbilly.
Can’t help but notice that you mention Human Females in the first sentence too….time to get marking then, it might just work. I think I will start with the car!
LOL. You know what I mean. Women chase men who have money or men who can chase money aggressively. Same thing as having the smelliest urine. It is who has the most money. The underlying reason actually is not that the female cat wants a provider. I believe it is because the female cats wants her offspring to be more able to survive. It is about genes.
I may be wrong, but male tom cats don’t provide for the mother cat and her kittens. So how well he eats or hunts is surely irrelevant? Unless she wants her kittens to inherit a strong predatory drive?
Interesting that scientists have narrowed it down to urine scent as being the aroma of romance. I guess that makes sense as cats rely on their sense of smell to guide them through most of life.
Good point. It must be about genes. The female wants her offspring to have the best genes for survival. This is reflected in women picking men with regular faces as this indicates good genes.