Cat Hunting Techniques
Cats, like all felines, are excellent hunters. Probably, all owners are amazed by their pets’ ability to chase their prey. But you, like many others, may not know your cat’s hunting techniques.
In this article, we will try to reveal some secrets about cat hunting techniques .
Why do cats keep hunting?
Although they have learned to live in harmony with humans, it must be borne in mind that cats have not been fully domesticated.
In fact, there are those who defend the theory that cats have tamed themselves ; that is, that they have allowed themselves to adapt to a domestic routine to benefit from certain advantages in different ways.
Discussions and controversies aside, what is certain is that our cats still maintain certain habits and behaviors worthy of a wild animal. One of the greatest demonstrations of this is their powerful hunting instinct.
Although they live in a very comfortable home, almost all cats continue to chase their prey and practice their hunting skills.
This is an innate need for cats, which dates back to their origins and their wild ancestors.
How do cats hunt in the wild?
In nature we can observe that animals practice different hunting techniques to capture their prey and feed.
Felines stand out as excellent strategists : they plan each step until they reach the prey, in order to optimize energy expenditure and ensure an effective attack.
Although some felines may hunt in groups (such as lions), most lead a solitary life, only gathering to mate, while hunting alone.
Let’s discover together the incredible hunting techniques of cats
Despite their small size compared to feral cats, cats possess the physical and mental attributes of great hunters.
The cat’s body is equipped with all the useful elements: well-developed muscles, great flexibility, very sharp senses, powerful claws and a strong jaw.
If we stop to observe our pet, we will notice that it is watching every move of a possible prey, be it an insect or a dove seen through the window.
His concentration is so great and his senses are so powerful that it can sometimes feel like your cat is looking into space.
But, in reality, it’s all part of your cat’s hunting technique: devising a strategy to hunt its prey.
So, once the right moment has arrived to launch the attack, we will observe the cat act with extreme confidence, using all its strength and flexibility to reach its prey.
Hunting techniques: the cat’s surprising ‘surprise weapon’
Recent studies by the AN Severtzov Institute of Ecology and Evolution in Moscow, Russia, have revealed that cats use some sort of ‘secret weapon’ to increase hunting effectiveness. Think that this powerful “weapon” is found, no more, no less, in his urine.
Usually, a mouse that smells cat urine tends to flee immediately.
This happens because rodents have neurons that are sensitive to substances in cat urine, particularly felinine.
Quickly, the rodent’s nervous system responds to this stimulus, which causes the levels of the so-called ‘stress hormone’ to rise.
Thanks to this, the animal can react and run away to avoid meeting a predator.
It has been observed that mice that have been exposed to cat urine from an early age have a lower tendency to avoid or escape their smell when they are adults.
That is, their response is much more peaceful than that of mice that have not been exposed to these substances.
According to these physiological characteristics, the cat’s urine could act as a secret weapon, which increases the cat’s advantage over the mouse in a chase.
Does your cat offer you dead animals?
Many pet lovers have been quite surprised by some “gifts” brought by their cats.
This peculiar habit of cats to bring dead animals to their owners is linked to their behavior in a feline family group.
Adult cats, especially females, should guide the young ones to start learning to hunt for themselves.
Until they are ready to reach their prey, the adults are responsible for bringing them food and feeding them to survive.
It doesn’t take our cats long to perceive that humans are not exactly good hunters and that we would be in serious trouble if we were to reach our prey alone.
Therefore, as a show of affection, they offer us their prey so that we remain healthy and well fed.
