Exploring Rat Behavior: How Cat Odor Triggers Innate Fear Responses By Talent Navigator • Published Mar 31, 2025 • 5 min read Understanding the behavior of rats in response to potential threats offers intriguing insights into animal psychology and evolutionary adaptations. Recent studies have demonstrated significant behavioral changes in rats when exposed to cat odor, an innate trigger that elicits a variety of defensive mechanisms. This article delves into the fascinating world of rats' responses to cat scent, exploring both immediate reactions and learned behaviors, while contextualizing these findings within a broader framework of learning and memory in the animal kingdom. Overview of the Study This study investigates the behavioral and physiological responses of rats when exposed to cat odor. It examines four key areas: Immediate responses to cat odor, which are unconditioned and instinctive. Conditioned responses to environments previously associa...
