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> Your Cat The Hunter
YOUR CAT THE HUNTER
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.
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