Best Pet Articles

Your Cat The Hunter


Many cat owners believe that their good little kitty would not even dream of going hunting.

After all, their cat is loved and well fed. Why should their pet bother hunting down birds, mice and other wildlife? If a domestic cat has any access at all to the outside world then it will hunt, no doubt about it, it's all part of being a cat.

Here are some of the myths and old wives tales about cats and hunting.

Pet cats are just too lazy to hunt.

In no way is this true, domestic cats may sleep away two thirds of their day but they are shallow sleepers and alert to all sound, and movements, that take place around them. Cats are designed to use high levels of energy in relatively short bursts, and then rest to recuperate.

A cat that is well fed will not hunt.

This is simply untrue. A cat will hunt whether it is hungry or not, hunting is an instinctive need within your cat. The fact is a well fed and healthy cat is more likely to be an effective hunter of prey, than an ill fed feral cat.

Cats that have been declawed will not hunt.

This is a misconception. A cat that has been deprived of its claws will use its front legs to give a paralyzing blow to its prey, and then, as any cat does, use its powerful jaws and needle sharp teeth to bite its victims neck. Declawing a cat for this reason would be pointless - in any event declawing is a cruel and unnecessary process.

Domestic cats prefer hunting mice to hunting birds.

Cats are opportunistic hunters and in metropolitan areas where rodent populations are kept under control, the most plentiful supply of prey is birds. In country areas some studies have shown that birds make up only twenty percent of a domestic cats prey. You may see cats catching more birds than mice, voles and rats, this is because the birds are prey that is available during the daytime, rodents are usually caught at night.

Kittens must be shown how to hunt by their mother.

Only partly true. Kittens are born with a natural hunting instinct, but if the mother cat is on hand to teach her kittens the necessary skills, they will be able to become more proficient hunters.

About The Author

Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong lover of cats and lives in London England. He is the webmaster and owner of http://www.best-cat-art.com. If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Pet oxygen masks can save animals' lives in fires
Alton Telegraph
16, 2010 file photo, a pet oxygen mask is placed on a dog, Mocha, during a demonstration by a member of the Portland Fire Department in Portland, Maine. While pet oxygen masks have been used for decades by veterinarians in offices and hospitals, ...

and more »


February is National Pet Dental Health Month
Sacramento Bee
Poor oral hygiene may lead to serious disease in our pets. Given that February is National Pet Dental Health Month, the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association encourages you to better care for your pet's teeth. Just as we can experience plaque and ...
February Marks Pet Dental Health MonthKTUL (blog)

all 8 news articles »


Fracking's Toll on Pets, Livestock Chills Farmers: Commentary
San Francisco Chronicle
A new study by veterinarian Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, a professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, chronicles case studies of dozens of farmers and pet owners in six states over the Marcellus Shale. Their findings, published in ...

and more »


Proposed Bill Protects Pets of Domestic Abuse Victims
Patch.com
Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who's district also falls partly into Clearwater, extends legal protection to pets of an abuse victim and makes beating or abusing the victim's pet grounds for violating a court-ordered domestic violence injunction.

and more »


MyFox Detroit

Michigan Humane Society Pets for Patriots Program
MyFox Detroit
The Michigan Humane Society (MHS), is teaming up with Pets for Patriots to give back to the men and women in uniform who inspire us all. The partnership will give active duty personnel and military veterans the opportunity to save even more lives by ...
Pets eat the weirdest things; pet proof your homeDaily Camera
Bad pet owners might be causing fee hikes for everyone elseKFOX El Paso
Meridian Valley Humane Society joins forces with Pets for PatriotsKIVI-TV

all 4 news articles »


Tufts Joins City Schools to Help Pets in Need
Patch.com
That effort has since grown to serve 200 pets each year at six WHA sites. “By pairing veterinary assistant students alongside professional DVM students, we will be able to do more than just treat the critically underserved pets among the neediest ...
Tufts to open vet clinic in WorcesterWorcester Telegram

all 3 news articles »


VetPracticeNews.com

Pet Obesity Rate Rises
VetPracticeNews.com
The percentage of pet cats and dogs classified as overweight remained relatively constant over the past year, but the rate of obesity increased, especially among cats, according to the fifth annual veterinary survey conducted by the Association for Pet ...
Pet Owners May Be In Denial But Study Says Rover Isn't Big-Boned, He's FatThe Consumerist
Alison Sweeney Backs 'Million Pound Pledge' for PetsZootoo.com
New Survey Shows US Dog and Cat Obesity Rates are climbingFirst Coast News
KPHO Phoenix
all 6 news articles »


About 40 pets removed from Hillyard home
The Spokesman Review
Spokane Police assisted SpokAnimal Care officers in removing a total of about 40 dogs and cats today from a northeast Hillyard bungalow which carried such a heavy stench that the workers were forced to wear hazardous material suits and respirators to ...

and more »


The Associated Press

Meet Your Match boosts puppy love (and kitty love) by matching people and pets ...
Washington Post
The color-coded program evaluates shelter pets and the people looking to adopt them in an effort to match personalities, energy levels and needs. Playing Cupid with Meet Your Match helped workers at the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to ...
Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your MatchWTOP

all 170 news articles »


Dog therapist helps pets get fit
Asbury Park Press
Josie's owner, So Scazafavo, began a program of pet therapy at Wag Wellness in Bothell. Josie can't twirl around like a ballerina like she used to, but she has regained some of the use of her hind legs and is doing really well, Scazafavo said.

and more »

Google News

home | site map | SubArticle
© 2008