As you take a brief look at your cat, you may think that it is just sitting quietly in the late afternoon sun. What you may not know, though, is that its mighty hunting behavior is just hiding behind its fluffy surface.
Kittens are born with a natural chasing and hunting instinct, although they are not necessarily born as hunters who kill for the sake of having their foods. Eating prey and killing are two generally learned behaviors.
A Skillful Mouse Hunter But No Desire to Eat the Prey
A cat can be a mighty mouse hunter but it does not necessarily mean that it also desires to eat whatever it holds. It is just that they are programmed to chase since their birth. Through their usual method of play, they develop timing and coordination that will help them
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The mother cat’s first lesson is about bringing home a dead prey and eating it in front of the kittens. Soon, the kittens will join in. The following days, the mother cat just brings the dead prey and leave the kittens alone to eat.
Play Before Killing the Slow-Moving Prey
The next lesson is about bringing a partially dead prey to teach the kittens how to finish it off. Kittens are also allowed to practice on how to kill the slow-moving prey or kill the wounded on their own in order to eat.
Perfect Paws further explained that there are various theories on why cats would first play their prey before actually killing it. In one theory, these felines lack confidence and may still be cautious that it can bite or fight back. In another theory, domesticated cats who live in an environment without a rodent lack the chance to catch a real and alive prey that when they finally catch one, they would want to lengthen such “great” event.
Cat’s Hunting Skills Not Lost During