Have you ever had the nasty experience of finding some poor little dead creature slap-bang in the middle of your kitchen floor? Or, worse yet, has your 'oh so innocent looking cat' dropped a mutilated prey right at your feet and acted as if you should be pleased about it?
If things like the above have happened to you, you must have wondered why your cat does that. After all you feed her, and feed her well, don't you? So why does she feel the need to hunt wildlife, let alone bring the corpses or injured but still living creatures back home?
A well cared for domestic cat does not hunt through hunger. Just because she does not have the need to hunt doesn't mean that she doesn't have the instinct. Cats are predators. When cats first moved in with humans thousands of years ago it was because of their proficient hunting skills. The cats learnt that where there were humans there were also rodents. The humans learnt just how accomplished cats are at catching and killing, thereby keeping the rodent population down. It was to be many years later that felines became thought of as pets and were kept primarily for their companionship.
"So OK, cats are natural born hunters, but why do they have to bring their catch home?"
There is more than one theory on this, but the most likely explanation is that your cat views you as an incompetent kitten who needs schooling in the ways of hunting. Spayed females are the most likely to bring home their catch. Kitty may be deprived of the ability to reproduce, but she does retain maternal instincts it seems.
"So she thinks I need to learn to go out and hunt food. But why does she bring back half-dead mice and other creatures?"
Usually the first catch a mother cat brings to her kittens will be dead. She will eat the prey in front of the kittens - this is food, and this is how you eat it. Then mom moves on to bringing home prey that she has injured and mangled. She will finish off her catch in front of her kittens - this is prey, and this is how you kill it. Finally she will start to bring home captured but unharmed creatures. Mom will let the prey go in front of her young ones and demonstrate to them how she stalks, pounces and catches - this is prey, and this is what you have to do before you can kill it and eat it.
"Well OK, my cat thinks that it is not enough that I know how to use a can opener, she thinks I should know how to hunt. It's nice of her to look after my interest but dead, half eaten or mutilated little animals disgust me. And I don't like her killing wildlife especially birds. How can I stop her?"
You can't take away her hunting instinct. Punishing her in any way would be futile. Even showing your distaste at her activities will probably confuse her, she has done you a service and you are unhappy about it!
Cats will hunt. Some more successfully than others but they will do it. The only way you can prevent them from hunting wildlife is to keep them indoors. If you prefer your cat to enjoy the outdoors fitting her out with a bell (attached to a breakaway collar for your cat's safety,) will go a long way in preventing her destroying wild birds.
Larry Chamberlain lives in London, England, and has had a lifelong fascination with domestic cats. His web site -
best-cat-art
- provides information about all that is best in cat art. Also pages about cat and kitten care and information on cat breeds and types.
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» left by Anonymous (2 years 1 day ago.)
yes i found this article very interesting, in my area mice are now an endangered species as my cat continuously brings me two or three carcasses a night, She must think I am very stupid. But I love or to bits Respond to this comment
» left by Larry Chamberlain. (2 years 1 day ago.)
Your cat thinks the world of you, she is telling you that two or three times a night. I hope you remember to say thank you :-) Respond to this comment
» left by phil from United Kingdom (1 year 182 days ago.)
Great reading, very helpful and funny. i have tried many bells on collars which hasn't worked.
Next step... is a cow bell... :-) Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 146 days ago.)
The cat thinks you're a kitten that doesn't know how to hunt. If you react happily, and then take any prey the cat brings you and dispose of it out of her sight, she will eventually believe you have learned how to hunt and kill, and will stop bringing you prey. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 25 days ago.)
My cat never goes outside and resorts to bringing her toys to me as if they were something she caught. It doesn't happen often but two nights ago she brought me 7 different catches ranging from feathers, balls, and various sizes of mouse toys. Last night she brought 5. So glad it is toys and not the real things. I think she is convinced they are real as you can hear her meowing as she walks the length of the hallway with her catch in her mouth. Not sure why she is feeling the need to do it so frequently right now.
» left by Emily from Wisconsin (314 days 18 hours ago.)
My cat is currently in the "bringing unharmed prey home" stage. He definitely went through the others first. The great part is, he is an indoor cat! The mice are coming from my basement! He brings them to me in the wee hours and sets them down either at the threshold of my bedroom or right next to my bed. They lay there a moment then jump up and start to scurry. My cat will play chase for a little while, then walks away to watch from a distance as I frantically move furniture and smack about with my broom. Apparently I am NOT learning fast enough!
Well the other day our neighbor told us my cats bring dead mice and birds to her doorstep. I have 2, and neither have ever brought a dead or mangled animal to me or my husband, but my neighbor insists that my male cat brings dead critters to her front steps daily. At first I was slightly offended because I thought he didn't think of me as highly, but I suppose this means actually then that he thinks she is an incapable hunter?
» left by Malena from Hackney (30 days 2 hours ago.)
I have just succeeded to get my adult son to leave home. Less than an hour after his departure, my 14 months male, nuted cat Gus brought in a terrified little frog. I rescued the little thing and returned it to the garden. Today he has already brought in 3 little birds - and I have a bit of a feather-phobia. Two of the birds were 'unharmed' but he 3rd one was dead. I have told him off after each one and locked him into the hall. Having read your article, I wish I had thanked him instead, like I used to do when he brought me in dead leaves - big ones. Until last night, he has never brought in real animals - and I would like to show him that I would prefer him not to. I live in East London - Do you give talks or have a regular 'refreshment-place' (pub or cafe or . . ) where one can discuss ones pet's cat-personality? Malena
I am a bird loving cat owner, and my cat was a found abandoned as a kitty and hates to be indoors. She is now indoor/outdoor but being outdoor during the day meant a lot of dead or injured birds and other small animals on my porch. This was very distressing to me. I tried the bells on her breakaway collar but that did no good. She is too stealthy of a huntress. Then I did research online and found a product called the Cat Bib. It is endorsed by the Audobon Society because it is proven to protect birds from cats while still allowing cats to enjoy the outdoors and do everything they normally do. I was very skeptical, especially because it was so inexpensive and it didn't seem possible that something as simple as a lightweight neoprene bib would save birds, but let me tell you, since wearing the she is as happy as ever and still spends all days outdoors and NO DEAD BIRDS on my porch. She was killing three a day before wearing this. It works! The bib wraps around your kitty's collar with a velcro strap. It is safe as long as you use a breakaway collar. I already lost it once when the collar broke away, and hence the bib, but later found it in the bushes. It is very ligthweigth and your kitty may at first try to 'walk over it' but eventually gets used to it. In fact, now my kitty likes it because she knows when I put it on her collar it means she gets to go outside. It's washable so every night I take it off and hand wash it and leave it out to dry until the next day. It's the same material as a wetsuit. Plus it's brightly colored so this also helps birds to see the cat sneaking up on it. The bib acts as a sort of "wall barrier" that lifts up as your kitty goes to pounce thus giving it the extra time it needs to get away. I'm a true believer of this product because I have seen for myself that it works, and while as you say u can't change a kitty's natural instinct to hunt, and they are not doing it to distress u, you can help birdies while also allowing your kitty to still enjoy the outdoors and do what it does naturally. Cat Bib is the product...if you google it you will find the website.
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