Your Cat The Hunter...

 by: Larry Chamberlain

Many cat owners believe that their good little kitty would not even dream of going hunting.

After all, their cat is loved and well fed. Why should their pet bother hunting down birds, mice and other wildlife? If a domestic cat has any access at all to the outside world then it will hunt, no doubt about it, it's all part of being a cat.

Here are some of the myths and old wives tales about cats and hunting.

Pet cats are just too lazy to hunt.

In no way is this true, domestic cats may sleep away two thirds of their day but they are shallow sleepers and alert to all sound, and movements, that take place around them. Cats are designed to use high levels of energy in relatively short bursts, and then rest to recuperate.

A cat that is well fed will not hunt.

This is simply untrue. A cat will hunt whether it is hungry or not, hunting is an instinctive need within your cat. The fact is a well fed and healthy cat is more likely to be an effective hunter of prey, than an ill fed feral cat.

Cats that have been declawed will not hunt.

This is a misconception. A cat that has been deprived of its claws will use its front legs to give a paralyzing blow to its prey, and then, as any cat does, use its powerful jaws and needle sharp teeth to bite its victims neck. Declawing a cat for this reason would be pointless - in any event declawing is a cruel and unnecessary process.

Domestic cats prefer hunting mice to hunting birds.

Cats are opportunistic hunters and in metropolitan areas where rodent populations are kept under control, the most plentiful supply of prey is birds. In country areas some studies have shown that birds make up only twenty percent of a domestic cats prey. You may see cats catching more birds than mice, voles and rats, this is because the birds are prey that is available during the daytime, rodents are usually caught at night.

Kittens must be shown how to hunt by their mother.

Only partly true. Kittens are born with a natural hunting instinct, but if the mother cat is on hand to teach her kittens the necessary skills, they will be able to become more proficient hunters.