What affects us affects cats
Yes, it is perfectly okay for domestic cats to eat flies, spiders and bugs of all kinds but see the caveat below. Wasps and bees are a problem because they can get stung. But it is completely natural for domestic cats to consider flies and spiders as prey. The insatiable curiosity and drive to …
The anti-cat brigade find any way to criticise domestic and feral cats. They condemn the cat for not even being able to perform their ancient historical role: to get rid of rats. Well back in those far flung days before Ancient Rome, the domestic cat was semi-feral and more like today’s African wildcat. They …
Do domestic cats kill squirrels? Yes, they do but the percentage of house cats who are successful squirrel hunters is probably quite low despite the impression the pictures on this page provide. Depending on the individual cat, those allowed outside might instinctively have the urge to prey on squirrels. They are the right size …
Nature programmed the cat to hold onto prey tightly. This is amply demonstrated in this cute little video. Have you seen a kitten so determined to not let go of prey? We have to believe that this kitten believes that this toy is prey. All cat toys are prey and they retain interest in …
Do domestic cats kill snakes, today? We know that at the beginning of wild cat domestication (about 9,500 years ago) semi-domestic cats killed snakes because the snake is on the pray diet for the wild cat ancestor of the domestic cat. Therefore, today’s domestic cats should kill snakes. The short answer, therefore, is that …
After a kill the mountain lion may begin to eat immediately or may spend time preparing the carcass. The mountain lion may return to finish off his meal in which case he will cover the remains with snow, grass, sand or leaves or whatever is available. We are told that the mountain has a …
We need balanced headlines on the story about feral cats preying on the rare and endangered Leadbeater’s possum, a tiny creature living in ‘tall wet forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands’. Phys.org leads with a disturbing headline ‘Evidence that feral cats are preying on the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum‘ which is bound to get the …
Why do cats like to torture mice? People sometimes criticise the domestic cat for torturing their prey, usually mice. They do this by pouncing and pausing and when the mouse is disabled through injury and trauma the cat throws it in the air and toys with it until dead. It is unpleasant to see …
