

Yikes.Įngage your kitty in plenty of play every day to redirect their natural hunting behaviors. And you’re left with the task of rodent body removal. If it doesn’t have anything to hunt, chase, and catch, then it will find something to fulfill its prey drive … and then it’s lights out for Mickey Mouse. And it gets you involved and playing with your cat, too, which helps you bond with your kitty!Ī cat needs mental stimulation, especially if it is a cat that seems to have a strong prey drive.
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And if your cat likes more land-locked prey like mice or lizards that move and zip really fast, the remote control Mouse Hunt Toy is a great way to redirect that natural hunting behavior with its realistic mouse appearance and speedy movements, it gives your cat the ideal hunt: stalk, chase, and catch. If your cat seems to enjoy stalking birds, wand and feather toys are a great solution. Don’t punish your cat for doing what comes naturally to them! A great way to satisfy your cat’s natural instincts is to redirect that strong prey drive with toys.
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They’re just looking for a safe place to snack! How to Redirect That Prey DriveĪ cat’s natural desire to hunt cannot – and should not – be suppressed. This is because while cats are natural predators, they’re also small enough to be considered prey to larger predators. Indoor kitties that have no live “prey” to hunt might substitute a favorite toy mouse or ball. And when your cat finally lets out that natural, instinctive urge to hunt and brings it back to you, your cat is acting out its inherent “prey-retrieval” instinct, which essentially means bringing their kill back to a safe place to eat. Why do they insist on bringing them to you?Īs explained above, cats were born to hunt. So we know why cats are so awesome at annihilating small animals.

Needless to say, it’s difficult for a cat to deny its nature, even if their food bowl is full. Consider their incredibly sharp retractable claws, teeth meant for piercing flesh, cushioned paws designed for stealth, whiskers that detect movement and vibrations in the air, and sensitive ears that can detect tiny variances in sounds up to one-tenth of a tone apart. Almost every fluffy inch of your cat is designed to hunt and kill prey, from the tips of their cute noses to their adorable paws. Though they were first domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago, housecats retain the keen hunting instincts of their wild ancestors. If your cat has ever left a dead mouse on the back porch, or even left their favorite stuffed mouse in your shoe, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why does my cat do this? Are they leaving me a gift? Are they just bloodthirsty killers?” The long and short of it? It all comes down to instinct. Let’s just say he’s lived up to his name. My cat, Rascal, is guilty of all of the above, including one poor little lizard left on my pillow. If you’re a cat owner, chances are you’ve woken up to some form of a dead critter on your doorstep – or at the foot of your bed … or in your shoe.
