How Do They Learn To Hunt Cats?
Unlike feral cats, which instinctively hunt for food, domestic cats must learn to hunt simply because it is not a vital necessity for them.
Let’s find out in this article how they learn to hunt cats.
How do they learn to hunt cats? How do they stimulate this instinct of theirs?
Teaching to hunt: the role played by the mother
The mother of a domestic cat is the first to play an important role in the development of a cat’s hunting instinct. Kittens learn the basics of hunting around five weeks of age, as soon as they are able to walk alone, observing their mother’s behavior.
The mother, in fact, attacks the prey by attracting the attention of the cubs by emitting sounds, and then eating it in front of them. Then, bring the prey closer to the cubs, letting them play with it and become familiar, so that in a short time they can become autonomous in hunting.
Hunting is more important than playing
At around eight weeks, the young stop playing with their prey and start behaving like real hunters. For cats, hunting is even more important than playing. They capture their prey and then eat it, before returning to play with their fellows.
How to stimulate your cat’s hunting instinct
Some cats do not have the opportunity to learn the rudiments of hunting from their mother. This is why the need may arise in you to replace her in this task. You can stimulate your cat through activities such as chase or fake prey games.
How cats hunt
When cats learn to hunt they develop a very precise and organized technique. First they locate their prey. Then various approaching maneuvers begin, such as walking stealthily so as not to be seen or heard. Once they get close enough to the prey, they retract their hind legs and then snap or jump towards the victim.
Felines have very sensitive hearing, which allows them to identify noises and ultrasounds produced by their prey. Sometimes they are even able to hear them several kilometers away.
When cats learn to hunt, make sure they don’t stray too far from you, or use tools that can control your pet’s movements. This way you will always be able to find him if his hunting expeditions get too long.
During the hunt, sight allows cats to link the image to the sounds heard, while the sense of smell does not seem to play a particularly important role. The sense of taste is instead complementary to the other senses as it helps cats to choose the tastiest prey, leaving aside insects or other less pleasant animals.
Hunting: natural and a source of controversy
The behavior that prompts cats to hunt has long helped us keep the presence of mice low in our cities. Yet, nowadays more and more people look at this skill of our pets with a critical eye.
With the passage of time, by incorporating more and more these animals into our domestic lives, we have lost the awareness of how wild attitudes for us, such as hunting, are completely natural for them. We are also even more indignant when the victims of our cats become birds.
However, it should be noted that, according to some biologists, wild cats survive mainly thanks to theft, even before hunting. And how often, when forced to hunt, their favorite victims are always mice, compared to birds.
Yet even a few birds are still too many in the eyes of animal rights activists. The debate therefore remains very heated especially on the wild cats front, but also on the problem of how to keep domestic cats at home.
Hunting with fishing techniques
Fishing, like hunting, requires dexterity and a lot of patience. When cats learn to hunt, they also do so in aquatic environments. They usually wait for their prey in silence, then using their paw as a “spoon” to collect the fish from the water. In deep water, cats use all four legs to grab the fish while maintaining balance.
Not all cats are able to perfect their fishing technique, perhaps due to their difficulties in contact with water. However, they usually resort to these techniques even in waters that are not normally dangerous for them, such as those of a simple puddle.
