Specificity of litter odors in the control of home orientation among kittens

Abstract

The specificity of maternal-home cage odors governing home orientation was tested in 8- to 11-day-old kittens. Kittens were first tested for home orientation from the adjacent corner in their own home cages and cages of other mothers with litters of the same age. The majority of kittens oriented successfully in their own cages but not in strange mothers' cages. They then lived for 48 hr in the strange mothers' cages. At the end of this time they showed no improvement in orientation in their own home cages. Moreover, after an additional 24 hr in their own home cages they showed no improvement in their own home cages. Home orientation involves 2 odor components: 1 general to different mothers and 1 specific to each mother.