I’ve spoken previously about my love for both wildlife and cats and the emotional conflict this can pose. After all, cats are well known for their hunting behaviours and ability to catch various wildlife!
Why Cats Hunt Wildlife
It’s easy to assume that a well-looked after, well-fed domestic pet cat shouldn’t need to hunt. After all, if well cared for they don’t go hungry. But, the reality is much different! Cats have a natural desire to hunt. This stems from the survival need for food, however it also incorporates a need for stimulation, play and fulfilment. A well-fed cat may not be hungry, but they may be under-stimulated and unfulfilled.
The origin of the domestic cat is believed to be influenced by the African wildcat. It’s thought that cats participated in their domestication process. Our ancestors offered cats a food source in the rodent populations feeding on grain sources or refuse and in turn, humans tolerated cats. After all, they helped control these rodent populations! It’s likely therefore that a cat’s hunting ability had a major role in creating today’s much-loved pet cat.
An interesting fact is that domesticated cats who live a feral lifestyle have a remarkable ability to survive without human support. This, alongside the domestic cat’s ability to breed with wildcats, brings about a question of whether they are in fact, fully domesticated. It is no surprise that the hunting instinct remains strong and is unlikely to reduce in pet cats.
When we consider how natural hunting is to a cat, it is unethical to keep them as pets and expect them not to engage in this important behaviour.
Solution
There are various solutions which can help prevent and lessen the need for your cat to hunt wildlife. For me, enriching your cat’s environment by providing mental stimulation and play that mimics hunting is a win-win solution! Not only can you offer your cat the opportunity to engage in hunting-type behaviours (minus the prey!), but you can also strengthen your bond with your cat. There are endless ways you can enrich your cat’s environment, it all comes down to thinking creatively about ways to get your cat using their senses. Read here all about why it’s important to enrich your pet’s environment.
Tips For Successful Play
For play to be successful, offer frequent opportunities which are short and sweet. Interactive play (a game involving you and your cat is great if your cat is sociable!). Otherwise, if your cat is nervous, or worried by humans provide ways for them to play with toys when you’re not around. Remember that play needs to mimic the hunting sequence! Consider ways to provide opportunities for your cat to stalk, chase, pounce, grab, bite and bunny kick. If you know your cat is partial to a particular type of prey (e.g. rodents or birds), think about providing a toy which mimics this. Cats often like toys and games which mimic prey. The sparkly, colourful, glittery toys tend to attract us in the shops!
Finally, a last note on successful play is to make sure to let your cat win some of the time! Hunts in the wild may not be successful all the time, but to best prevent our cats from feeling the need to go looking for prey we need to let them have a reward for the catch. This could be by getting to grab hold of and chew the toy, or by finishing the game by scattering some treats for your cat to find. Games such as chasing a laser can cause frustration as there is no result.
Other important considerations
It’s also important to ensure your cat is fed a species-appropriate diet (note that cats are obligate carnivores!). This should mean they do not need to hunt for food. You can also use strategies such as bells on collars, keeping your cat inside at peak hunting times (usually dawn and dusk) and keeping bird feeders and wildlife areas away from where your cat spends their time.
Keeping Cats Indoors
I often see comments from wildlife lovers that cats should be kept indoors to reduce their environmental damage. This may be an ideal solution in some cases however, it’s not that simple when considering a cat’s welfare.
We need to consider that an indoor-only environment can struggle to offer adequate stimulation and meet a cat’s behavioural needs. This can lead to a stressed cat who may display behaviour problems ranging from aggression towards humans or other animals, destructive behaviour, or toileting inappropriately. These problems can have a huge impact on a cat’s relationship with those around it. Not to mention, stress can also have a detrimental effect on a cat’s health and welfare.
So you may be wondering how you know if your cat is likely to cope living indoor only. Well, a cat’s ability to cope in an indoor-only environment will depend on a range of factors. For example, the socialisation the cat experienced as a kitten, their health, breed, individual temperament and previous experiences. It all comes down to the individual.
Environmental enrichment should be a top priority if you keep a cat solely indoors. Make sure to provide opportunities for your cat to run, hide, climb, scratch, stalk, chase, pounce, play and rest comfortably. There is no end of ideas for making an indoor environment interesting for our feline friends.
Catios and Cat-Proof Gardens
There’s a fantastic range of Catios and ways to cat-proof your garden on the market. This can offer your cat outdoor access, while also reducing risk from the outdoor world!
Similarly, it also means that your cat will have limited ability to hunt wildlife. This means that they will still need this natural need meeting through play and enrichment. It’s ideal to include lots of opportunities for stimulation in a Catio, for example, shelves and climbing opportunities, scratching opportunities, play opportunities and ways for your cat to utilise their senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, balance and movement.
Feral/ Stray Cats and Wildlife
We also need to consider that part of the domestic cat population includes stray and feral cats. Feral or stray cats will range from being afraid of humans and living a completely independent life, rarely being seen by humans. To the other end of the scale where sociable farm cats live an independent life, but will happily engage with humans.
This population of cats poses a trickier challenge when considering their effect on wildlife. This is because an indoor life as a pet is likely to have a detrimental effect on their welfare, hence they often live independently. They may need to hunt for survival, so feral cats are likely to have a significant impact on wildlife. In these cases, managing the populations by preventing breeding is the best option. Life as a feral cat is often a hard life, so it is important work from a cat welfare and environmental perspective.
A great way to help here is to get involved in trap, neuter and return programmes. These aim to reduce feral cat populations and prioritise cat welfare.
The Bigger Picture
The impact cats pose on wildlife is a complex problem and not one that can be viewed with a one-size-fits all answer. We need to consider the different types of domesticated cats and what sort of lifestyles they’re suited to and can cope with.
We need to focus on effective solutions which prioritise cat welfare.
Responsible Pet Owner
If you’re keen to be a responsible cat owner you can do this by considering the needs of your cat. Then, consider how you can adapt their life to fulfil their natural cat behaviours (without the wildlife involvement!).
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