5 ways to prevent your cat from hunting

Summer season can only mean one thing for cat lovers – an abundance of creatures that have sadly been hunted by our furry friends and brought into our homes as a ‘gift’. 

Here at Paws & Claws we’ve seen it all, from the usual voles, mice, rats and birds to squirrels, bats and moles!

We all know the infamous story of Tom & Jerry – the continuous struggle between the hunter and the hunted, but why do cats behave like this, after nearly 10,000 years of being domesticated?!

Cats are hunters by nature, and it’s their survival instinct and predatory behaviour, along with their playful nature that encourages this activity.

Throughout history cats were praised for their hunting techniques and were often used to keep the rodent populations down. Cats have retained the hunting instincts of their wild ancestors, this comes down to their bodies not producing much of an essential amino-acid called taurine (a building block of protein). Animals cannot survive without taurine for long and so cats make up for their deficiency through their diet, cats are ‘obligatory carnivores’ meaning they have to kill to live.

The question is, can we stop our beloved feline friends from bringing in dead animals!? Here’s our top tips and advice for deterring their primal instinct:

1. The most obvious of preventatives is a bell attached to a collar, this is a good way of warning any prey that your cat is on its way! (A quick release collar is the safest kind and they are recommended by most animal welfare organisations).
2. If you have bird feeders, spread them out in your garden so that flocks can easily spot a preying cat.
3. Keep your cats inside during the hours of dawn and dusk, when smaller rodents are most active.
4. Make sure your cat is well fed (for its size and age), as this could mean your feline friend is less likely to go looking for an extra snack to catch.
5. Provide a diversion, a cats daily activity consist of short bursts of energy and (lots!) of sleeping, so if you stimulate your pet by encouraging them to chase toys, balls and other equipment this will reduce their natural tendency to go after live prey.

Have you got any tips to help fellow cat owners prevent any nasty surprises on their door step that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them! Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or Instagram and join our Paws & Claws community.

  

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