科学家发现猫尿中的化学"身份证"

日本岩手大学领导的国际研究团队发现，猫尿中含有13种支链脂肪酸，其特定的组合和相对丰度对每只猫都具有独特性1。这些脂肪酸构成了一种持久的化学标记，使猫能够通过这种方式相互识别1。在25°C条件下储存的尿液样本中，这种独特的支链脂肪酸配置至少可保持24小时稳定1。

该项发现还揭示了长期困扰科学家的一个谜团：猫肾脏中的脂滴可能充当脂肪酸的储存库，帮助维持尿液中稳定的个体化学特征1。类似的支链脂肪酸也在狮子、老虎、豹子、美洲豹和猞猁等多种猫科动物中被检测到1。这项研究由岩手大学教授Masao Miyazaki领导，汇集了来自日本、德国和西班牙的研究人员，相关论文已发表于《当代生物学》2026年第36卷第17期1。

An international research team led by Iwate University in Japan has identified a unique chemical signature in cat urine that functions as a biological identifier for individual felines.1 The researchers found that cat urine contains 13 branched-chain fatty acids whose specific combination and relative proportions are distinctive to each cat, creating what amounts to a persistent chemical "identity card."1

Cats are able to recognize one another through these fatty acids, according to the study.1 The composition of these branched-chain fatty acids varies between individual cats but remains relatively stable within the same animal; when urine samples were stored at 25°C, the unique fatty acid configuration remained stable for at least 24 hours.1 The research team, comprising scientists from Japan, Germany, and Spain and led by Iwate University Professor Masao Miyazaki, also discovered that identical branched-chain fatty acids are present across multiple feline species, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, and lynxes.1

The findings provide an explanation for a mystery that has puzzled scientists for over a century: the purpose of lipid droplets in cat kidneys, which are believed to serve as storage reserves for these fatty acids and help maintain the stable individualized chemical characteristics in urine.1 The research was published in Current Biology, Volume 36, Issue 17, in 2026.1