Social, Feeding and Predatory Behaviour 53
behaviour that does not take into account the cat’s instinctive survival skills. Because
cats are obligatory carnivores it means that, for unowned cats especially, hunting is
necessary for survival.
Well-fed and well-cared-for pet cats generally have a reduced propensity for
hunting (Silva-Rodríguez and Sieving, 2011). But a strong motivation to hunt, at least
occasionally, can still exist (Adamec, 1976). This is because the incentive to hunt,
although increased by hunger, is not driven by hunger alone (Biben, 1979). This is a
necessary survival strategy because if a cat were to wait until it is hungry to start
hunting it could run a serious risk of starvation for the following reasons:
● Not all hunting attempts are successful. On average only around 50% result in a kill.
● Suitable prey is not always available.
● Hunting requires energy; a hungry cat might lack sufficient energy and might
therefore be less successful.
Cats are also often accused of not killing their prey quickly and needlessly ‘playing’
with it. But there are equally good reasons for this behaviour:
● Rodents particularly, can inflict painful and injurious bites. To avoid injury it might
be necessary for the cat to exhaust the prey sufficiently before attempting capture.
● The prey needs to be manoeuvred into the correct position so that the cat can
inflict the final killing bite effectively. If the prey is large or very active this might
only be possible if it is sufficiently subdued.
The hunt and kill
Cats are supremely designed to hunt, with much of their anatomy and physiology
enabling them to be highly efficient predators (Box 4.1).
Prey is located initially by sound. Once the prey is located, the cat approaches
fairly quickly, running while maintaining a crouching posture. It will then normally
stop a short distance away and drop to the ground to observe the prey. Adopting the
following position in readiness to spring:
● Body pressed flat to the ground.
● Fore legs positioned beneath the shoulders with feet flat to the ground.
● Head and neck stretched forward.
● Ears erect and forward facing.
● Eyes fully focused on the prey (Fig. 4.5).
As the cat prepares to spring, the hindquarters are raised slightly off the ground and
the cat starts to tread alternately with the hind feet. Tail twitching is another common
movement during hunting.
In situations where the cat might be less able to maintain good visualization of
the exact prey location, e.g. in long grass, the cat may leap vertically onto the prey.
But more often the cat springs forward into a short run, then either grabs the prey
immediately in the mouth or initially traps it with the front feet and then grabs it
in the mouth. Once a kill has been made the cat may eat it straight away or take it
to a secure place away from potential competition. For pet cats this can often be
the home that it shares with its human owners.