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Tip
72 - Dog pheromones cat pheromones
What
are pheromones
Pheromones
are chemicals that are naturally produced by many insects and
animals including dogs, cats and man. Depending on the
animal, these chemicals
that
are secreted by the body can be easily or subtly detected through
the sense of smell. They are
capable
of changing the "smeller's" behaviour as well as creating
a physiological response within the smeller. Pheromones were
first discovered
in the 1950's in insects such as ants and moths and are quite
easy to identify. Detecting, locating and reproducing specific
pheromones
in larger
mammals
has proven to be more difficult, though their existence is certain.
When a female dog or cat is in heat for example, she releases
pheromones that
are detectable
by male
dogs living within
a few miles of her. Pheromones are also present in urine, and
when your dog or cat urinates, other members of the same species
are attracted to the smell and the information (about territory,
rank, gender etc.) hiding within the smell. When a cat rubs its
face on you it is actually scenting you with pheromones. This
scent has the role of both calming the cat down while claiming
ownership of you.
Due
to the fact that different pheromones are thought to elicit specific
behaviours, scientists and marketers alike have sought to research
and develop synthetic pheromones. In female dogs for example,
the nursing mother naturally
secretes a pheromone
that calms her puppies down. A synthetic pheromone is now being
sold to calm down dogs that are overly nervous and fearful. Similarly
in cats, there are now synthetic pheromones (in spray format)
on the market that are supposed to reduce marking behaviours
by calming the cat down.
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2006
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