Relation of emotional behaviors to urine catecholamines and cortisol.

We examined changes of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels in 24-h urine accompanying emotional behavior in cats such as restlessness, threat, and quiet biting attack elicited by electrical stimulation of specific sites within the hypothalamus. Although norepinephrine remained unchanged with restlessness but increased with threat, elevation of epinephrine and cortisol levels was common to restlessness and threat. No significant changes in these hormonal levels were seen with quiet biting attack and control. Therefore, it was suggested that emotional behaviors such as restlessness and threat are more closely related to emotional stress than quiet biting attack in cats.