A Preliminary Study on Putative Chemosignals in the Urinary Sample of Subadult Male Jungle Cat, Felis chaus (Schreber, 1777)

Jungle cat, Felis chaus is a lesser-known cat species of the Indian Subcontinent residing in diverse range of environments, but marked mostly in scrubs, grasslands and marshes. Like other Felines, Jungle cats have also been demonstrated to mark territory with urine spray, neck rub, chin rub, and cheek rub. This brief study outlines the preliminary findings of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the urine sample of subadult male Jungle cat. Identification of 2,5-dimethyl Pyrazine from the urine of the cat, makes it distinct from other related cat species. Incidentally, this chemical has been found to be the putative chemo-signal in the urine of maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus. Molecular docking of volatiles shows the binding regions of the odorant with vomeronasal receptor.