Repulsive and attractive response of mature Rattus rattus towards conspecific natural urinary signals of the same and the opposite sex

Urinary signals play an important role in communication between the individuals of the same species. The present study observed the response of mature male and female Rattus rattus towards conspecific natural urine of the same and the opposite sex. Responses to urine signals were determined based on food consumption on the treated and untreated sides of the cage. Mature male rats consumed significantly more food when treated with the urine of grouped mature female rats and female rats in the oestrous, pro-oestrous, di-oestrous, metoestrous, and lactation stages, while significantly low food consumption was observed in male rats in response to the urine of individual and grouped mature male rats, indicating strong attraction to the urine of the opposite sex and strong repulsion towards urine of the same sex. Similar observations were confirmed in bi-choice and multichoice maze experiments. Male rats did not show any significant response towards the urine of pregnant females. Under simulated store conditions, repulsion towards urine of the same sex was shown up to six days of exposure while the attraction towards the urine of the opposite sex was shown up to three days of exposure. Under simulated field conditions, the repulsive effect towards urine of the same sex remained for 9-13 days and the attractant effect to the urine of the opposite sex remained for all 15 days of the experiment. The study thus indicates that the reproductive condition of rats influences the communicative signals they produce as well as their own responses to conspecific signals of the same and the opposite sex.