Cat urine has an extremely pungent and persistent odor in domestic environments, to the point of leading scholars and scientists to experiment with different ways to precisely identify the source of the unpleasant odor and, consequently, implement the most effective remedies to neutralize it .
These researches have made it possible to highlight a curious phenomenon, namely that the cat pee glows in the dark. Here because.
Does cat urine glow in the dark?
Yes, cat pee can be subjected to a chemiluminescent phenomenon when you light it up in the dark with one ultraviolet lamp: it will appear bright green!
Also in the cane it is possible to observe a similar phenomenon, but the shade of color in this species seems to appear more tenuous and in shades of yellow. But what is this phenomenon due to? Can it be observed in all felines?
Why does cat pee glow in the dark?
You are certain that your cat has urinated in some corner of the house but you cannot figure out exactly where the smell is coming from. Here, armed with a UV lamp, we could be able to identify it immediately thanks to its particularity.
Were made different hypotheses on why cat pee glows in the dark: the phenomenon appears to be related to the presence of minerals and/or pigments present in large quantities in cat urine.
The presence of phosphorus
Part of this luminescence is probably due to phosphorus, contained extensively in feline pee.
In contact with oxygen, this mineral “lights up” green and yellow even in “normal” dark conditions, therefore without the aid of the lamp, but it allows us to highlight this phenomenon by making it clearly visible to us human beings.
The pigment known as urobilin
Another hypothesis suggests that cat pee glows in the dark due to theurobilin e dell’urobilinogeno, pigments that determine the characteristic yellow color of urine.
The presence of this substance can vary from cat to cat, which would justify the difference in color intensity between different animals.
The crystals of uric acid
Chemoluminescent cat urine can also be explained by the presence of uric acid contained in cat urine.
Excess uric acid can cause kidney stones, or the appearance of stones or urine crystals, such as those of struvite. It is precisely these crystals that, depending on their chemical composition, are able to reflect light creating the particular visual effect.
In which cases is the luminescence not visible?
Some conditions make this luminescence not very visible:
- Glow-in-the-dark cat pee is clearly visible only when illuminated by the lamp;
- Glowing cat urine is only visible when the surface is completely dry;
- The room must be dark to best highlight the spots with the UV lamp;
- Other substances also have a particular luminescence in the dark, but that of cats has the typical greenish colour;
- When the lamp battery is not charged enough the light may be too dim.
Why observe the spots with the UV lamp?
This system is used by some cleaning companies to ensure rapid identification of particularly stubborn, persistent stains that can create discomfort for the customer.
It is particularly useful in those highly frequented places for which it is necessary to maintain excellent sanitary standardssuch as hotel rooms, rooms for rent, but in reality it also finds great use within the home.
If your cat has an unfortunate tendency to urinate outside the litter box, this trick can be very helpful. All you need to do is equip yourself with a common UV lamp and proceed to “scan” the offending place: in this way you will be able to identify the stain by following the “trail of colored light”, thus allowing you to carry out adequate and effective house cleaning!