Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria).
Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria).
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DOI：
10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6
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发表时间：
2017-03-16
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Bunnik EM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bol S;Caspers J;Buckingham L;Anderson-Shelton GD;Ridgway C;Buffington CA;Schulz S;Bunnik EM
嗅觉刺激是圈养猫的一种经常被忽视的环境丰富方法。最著名的嗅觉丰富的例子是使用猫薄荷，这种植物可以使家猫和大多数豹亚科动物产生明显的欣快反应。人们早就知道，一些家猫和大多数老虎对猫薄荷没有反应。尽管存在许多其他植物具有类似效果的轶事，但缺乏关于对这些植物有反应的猫数量的数据，以及对猫薄荷没有反应的猫是否对其中任何一种有反应的数据。此外，对于这些植物中的哪些化学物质引起这种反应仍然知之甚少。我们在 100 只家猫身上测试了猫薄荷、银藤、鞑靼金银花和缬草根，并观察了它们的反应。每只猫多次被提供所有四种植物材料和对照。猫薄荷和银藤也被供奉给九只老虎。通过气相色谱法和质谱法对植物材料进行分析，以量化据信对猫产生刺激作用的化合物的浓度。几乎所有的家猫都对嗅觉丰富做出了积极的反应。与之前的研究一致，每三只猫中就有一只对猫薄荷没有反应。近 80% 的家猫对银藤有反应，约 50% 对鞑靼金银花和缬草根有反应。虽然猫主要对银藤植物的果瘿有反应，但有些猫也对其木材有积极的反应。在对猫薄荷没有反应的猫中，近 75% 对银藤有反应，大约三分之一对鞑靼金银花有反应。与家猫不同，老虎要么对银藤不感兴趣，要么做出不赞成的反应。猫薄荷中荆芥内酯的含量最高，而在其他植物中仅存在少量水平。银藤含有所有其他测试化合物中浓度最高的。丰富猫的嗅觉可能具有巨大的潜力。干果瘿和猫薄荷制成的银藤粉最受家猫欢迎。对于对猫薄荷没有反应的家猫来说，银藤和鞑靼金银花似乎是猫薄荷的良好替代品。本文的在线版本 (doi:10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6) 包含补充材料，可供授权用户使用。
Olfactory stimulation is an often overlooked method of environmental enrichment for cats in captivity. The best known example of olfactory enrichment is the use of catnip, a plant that can cause an apparently euphoric reaction in domestic cats and most of the Pantherinae. It has long been known that some domestic cats and most tigers do not respond to catnip. Although many anecdotes exist of other plants with similar effects, data are lacking about the number of cats that respond to these plants, and if cats that do not respond to catnip respond to any of them. Furthermore, much is still unknown about which chemicals in these plants cause this response. We tested catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root on 100 domestic cats and observed their response. Each cat was offered all four plant materials and a control, multiple times. Catnip and silver vine also were offered to nine tigers. The plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to quantify concentrations of compounds believed to exert stimulating effects on cats. Nearly all domestic cats responded positively to olfactory enrichment. In agreement with previous studies, one out of every three cats did not respond to catnip. Almost 80% of the domestic cats responded to silver vine and about 50% to Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root. Although cats predominantly responded to fruit galls of the silver vine plant, some also responded positively to its wood. Of the cats that did not respond to catnip, almost 75% did respond to silver vine and about one out of three to Tatarian honeysuckle. Unlike domestic cats, tigers were either not interested in silver vine or responded disapprovingly. The amount of nepetalactone was highest in catnip and only present at marginal levels in the other plants. Silver vine contained the highest concentrations of all other compounds tested. Olfactory enrichment for cats may have great potential. Silver vine powder from dried fruit galls and catnip were most popular among domestic cats. Silver vine and Tatarian honeysuckle appear to be good alternatives to catnip for domestic cats that do not respond to catnip. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.