Ultrasonic hearing abilities of the domestic cat assessed with auditory brainstem responses

Abstract

Domestic cats (Felis catus) have sharp sensory abilities which they use in various circumstances. For example, they have acute hearing for detecting and localizing relevant auditory information, such as the presence of potential threats or prey items. However, there are notable discrepancies in the literature regarding the full extent of the cat’s hearing abilities. Here, we hypothesize that domestic cats can hear ultrasonic frequencies above 60kHz, since they might utilize their hearing abilities to detect the ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by rodent prey. We used auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), a more time efficient method compared to behavioral psychoacoustic techniques, to evaluate the sensitivity of the cat’s auditory system to ultrasonic frequencies. We presented artificial and behaviorally relevant stimuli containing ultrasonic frequencies to each cat (n = 6). We then recorded the resulting ABRs, measured the wave amplitudes and latencies, and determined the ABR thresholds to these stimuli. The ABR data presented here will be useful in conjunction with psychoacoustic experiments to provide insight into the neural mechanisms that might be involved when cats perceive high frequency signals. This work will ultimately contribute to a better understanding of the cat’s hearing abilities. [Work supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.]