Practical feline behaviour understanding cat behaviour and improving welfare

(Axel Boer) #1
54 Chapter 4

Effects on wildlife


A cat’s hunting prowess, although highly valued by people that keep or encourage
cats expressly for this purpose, is more likely to be considered an undesirable trait by
most pet owners. Free-ranging cats, pet, stray or feral, are particularly unpopular with


Box 4.1. The design of the perfect predator.
Hearing
●●Encompasses the range of very high-pitched sounds made by small mammals and birds.
●●Sensitive enough to hear the movements of small animals.
●●The pinna (outer part of the ear) can be moved independently to act as a directional
amplifier to help locate the sounds of prey precisely.
Sight
●●Eyes are large and forward facing, allowing 3D binocular vision, enabling the cat to
pinpoint correctly the position of prey.
●●An enhanced ability to detect small, fast movements.
●●Increased ability to see in low light conditions, allowing effective hunting when noc-
turnal and crepuscular prey animals are most active and more likely to be out of
safe hiding places.
Teeth
●●Canine teeth are long and thin and used for dislocating the vertebrae of prey, en-
abling a quick kill.
●●Mechanoreceptors contained within the teeth allow precise location of where the
killing bite should be made.
Claws
●●Sharp and pointed.
●●Protractile: can be kept retracted until required.
●●Mechanoreceptors at the base of the claws enable the cat to feel and grab its prey
with the correct amount of pressure.

Fig. 4.5. Hunting, preparing to
pounce.
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