Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University conducted a study of the acoustic parameters of the meows of feral adult domestic cats Felis silvestris catus kept in captivity during the breeding season.
During the breeding season of domestic cats, both sexes dramatically increase their vocal activity. Loud meows can be used by animals to determine the gender of a potential partner and his individuality (in groups of more or less constant composition). However, to date there have been no studies that directly support these assumptions.
As a result of the analysis of the acoustic parameters of meows of 5 males and 6 females of adult domestic cats, it turned out that the percentage of correct assignment of meows to sex in discriminant analysis averaged 88.0%, and to an individual averaged 79.2%, which significantly exceeds the random level calculated with using a permutation test. Also, male meows were much lower in frequency, with a maximum fundamental frequency of 0.37 ± 0.05 kHz compared to 0.61 ± 0.16 kHz in females.
Thus, the study showed that acoustic differences in the meows of adult domestic cats during the breeding season may encode information about the sex and identity of the animals calling.
The results of the study were published in the journal Behaviour: Sedova L.M., Volodin I.A., Erofeeva M.N., Alekseeva G.S., Naidenko S.V., Volodina E.V., Meows of captive feral domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) in the mating season: acoustic correlates of caller identity and sex. Behaviour. DOI: 10.1163/1568539X-bja10239
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