Discover the hunter in your cat
Legacy of a Predator
Felines are considered predators, they all hunt in the wild. They have sharp teeth, perfect night vision, silent paws, and remarkable physical abilities that best suit a cat’s nature as a solitary nocturnal hunter.
In fact, their history, dating back to ancient Egypt, involves their hunting skills. Cats were brought into Egyptian cities and towns to control rodents in their granaries. Since cats were successful as hunters, they were greatly admired, cherished, and even given the status of gods.
The cats’ hunting skills allowed them to spread around the world, boarding ships that carried them to protect themselves against mice. To this day, barn cats around the world continue to be prized for this ability.
However, in recent decades, the attitude towards cats has changed, as they have become beloved companions rather than work animals. Simultaneously, a problem related to wildlife conservation has developed. Concerned animal lovers have been blaming cats for endangering the lives of birds and rodents, demanding that they be banned from hunting.
His plea came simultaneously with a growing desire to protect house cats from harm by keeping them indoors. That is why cats no longer hunt nowadays. However, cat owners can still enjoy watching their hunting skills during interactive playtime.
a bad game
Playing with cats not only looks like hunting, but hunting routines can also look like play.
A cat will not immediately kill the prey it has captured. Instead, he will carry the prey in his mouth and carry it to a location he is familiar with to begin the long and vicious cycle.
The cat will release the creature, letting it try to escape, and then use its paw to smack at it, occasionally tossing it into the air. This can take hours and this is how your cat plays with the toy mouse.
Longtime observers of cat hunting have blamed them for unnecessary cruelty. According to modern behavioral studies, there is no game going on. Although it may seem like a bad sport, it actually involves basic safety measures that the cat needs to survive.
Look at it from a cat’s point of view. The rodent, whether small or large, can fight back and bite when given the chance. Their bite can be small but deadly, leading to infection, disease, and worse, death. Cats won’t want to take that risk.
Since their vision is clearer from afar, it is difficult for cats to bite live prey. As a solution, they chase and wear down their prey until it is too weak to protect itself. This is the time when the cat will kill its prey.
So when your cat goes away for a while and then returns with a live creature, don’t punish or scold him. Consider the fact that this is what he has learned from years of evolution. Now, if you don’t want your cat to go hunting, you should let her stay inside.