An alternative way rather than cat confinement to reduce domestic cat hunting

Feeding a domestic cat a grain-free food reduces their predisposition to hunt

This is an interesting study which I’ve relied on before in a discussion whether hungry cats hunt better. Common sense dictates that a cat that is not fed by their caregiver will, given the opportunity, hunt to sustain their life. But they will hunt just what they need and no more. And a cat …

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Designer invents a cat collar which he claims could save the lives of 55 million birds in the UK

Cat killing what appears to be a magpie

The Mail Online reports that Philip Yorke, 82, has designed a cat collar which he believes might be very effective in protecting British birds. This is important. It’s important because of all the animals that domestic and stray cats hunt, the bird is the most precious to the British public. They don’t like it. …

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Domestic cat personality influences opportunity, desire and effectiveness of predation

Cat predation worries many

A domestic cat’s personality influences how keen they are to go hunting and it will also affect how effective they are and therefore how many prey animals they kill and/or bring back home. And, secondly, owners’ perceptions of cat personality can influence cats’ access to the outside which also has an impact on the …

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Does feeding a domestic cat blunt their desire to hunt?

Confine your cat to stop him bringing mice into the home

To rephrase the title, you might ask the following question: “Do well-fed domestic cats hunt as much and with the same conviction as cats that aren’t fed?” The best answer that I can find on this topic is from Dr. Jon Bradshaw in his book Cat Sense. He is far more nuanced in his …

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‘Food preparation’ for easy swallowing by domestic cats is rarely seen

Cat hunting birds

In the modern world, as the pampered domestic cat is provided with wet cat food from pouches or dry cat food from bags, you rarely see them engaging in their own ‘food preparation’ so I’ll describe it here if I may. The point is that domestic cats are in effect scavengers, a behavioural trait …

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Why do domestic cats still wish to maintain a home range?

Domestic cat home range in Australia

The reason why the domestic cat’s wildcat ancestor maintains a home range i.e. a section of landscape that they call home, is because they want to protect a food resource. This makes sense. It’s about survival. The domestic cat, in a typical home where they are well looked after, has a ready-made food source. …

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Domestic cats don’t cause bird populations to decline says the RSPB

An ultrasonic cat deterrent recommended by the RSPB

The RSPB say that domestic cats do not cause bird populations to decline. A bold statement that requires serious consideration. I remember addressing this issue a dozen years ago when the RSPB said the same thing then. For those who are unsure, the RSPB is the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It …

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American ornithologists exaggerate the number of birds killed by domestic cats in the USA

Cat hunting birds

On their website, the American Bird Conservancy state that domestic cats that are allowed outside in the USA “kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year. Although this number may seem unbelievable, it represents the combined impact of tens of millions of outdoor cats.” It is common knowledge that there are more domestic cats allowed …

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