Cats are cute, fluffy, and cuddly, however they’re additionally fairly the predators. As natural-born hunters, kitties can simply take down mice, rabbits, and birds. And typically, they prefer to carry a lifeless mouse or different slain rodent dwelling.
Why do they try this? Extra importantly, how are you going to persuade the cat to cease doing it? Learn on to search out out!
It Has to Do With Looking Instincts
This would possibly come as a shock, however within the US alone, cats kill as much as 22 billion mammals 1 and 4 billion birds every year! True, most of those murders are dedicated by the so-called “neighborhood cats”, which embrace stray and feral felines. That doesn’t exclude home kitties from the listing, after all. Whereas they do take pleasure in being pets, their looking instincts are nonetheless very robust.
Extra particularly, we’re speaking in regards to the prey drive, a endless need to hunt, take down, and seize prey. Relying on the breed, the cat might need the next or decrease prey drive, however it should at all times be there. In any case, cats are obligate carnivores: within the wilderness, they solely feed on animal flesh. Felines do swallow vegetation typically, however solely to wash their stomachs via vomiting.
Attainable Causes Why Your Cat Is Bringing You Mice
1. They’re Simply Enjoying or Having Enjoyable
Looking performs an enormous position in a feline’s life. And, typically, they don’t do it out of necessity however relatively to have some enjoyable. That’s proper: Cats benefit from the course of and have a tendency to “play” with the sufferer earlier than delivering a deadly blow. For this reason we regularly see them kill an entire bunch of bugs or critters and never eat them.
2. The Cat Is Attempting to Present Respect or Feed You
If the four-legged hunter thinks of you as household, it is perhaps bringing within the prey dwelling as a memento for you. Most often, that’s going to be a mouse, however larger, stronger cats can simply take down a big vole or a rabbit. You would possibly even obtain a stuffed animal as a present. Now, for a first-time cat proprietor, this conduct generally is a bit complicated and even surprising.
Nevertheless, there’s no cause to be fearful right here. If something, you ought to be flattered!
3. The Kitty Is Educating You Find out how to Hunt and Present
Within the wilderness, it’s as much as the cat mothers to show the little ones the right way to escape predators, hone their looking abilities, and, in the end, kill and eat prey. So, in case your pet feline doesn’t have any kittens, chances are high, it’s attempting to cross on the information to you. And what higher method to try this than to carry a mouse (alive or lifeless) into the den?
This doesn’t imply the cat considers you to be its little one, however you’re positively a member of the pack!
Why Do Felines Maintain Useless Rodents at Residence?
The query stays, although: why carry the prey dwelling when you possibly can “deal” with it proper there after which? This takes us again to a cat’s ancestral instincts. When the kitty is well-fed, it would resolve to stash the catch in a secure, acquainted place as an alternative (to eat it later), and that place occurs to be your apartment, cottage, bungalow, or multi-family home.
Sadly, if the lifeless critter stays there for a day or two, it should begin to odor and appeal to all types of pests. For this reason it’s best to try to boring the cat’s murderous instincts as quickly as potential (ideally at a younger age). That mentioned, if it’s a feminine with a comparatively large litter, they’ll devour that mouse in a heartbeat!
Mice, Birds, and Reptiles: A Cat’s “Kill Record”
Everyone knows that cats hunt and kill mice. That is one thing that’s depicted in films, cartoons, and youngsters’s books. Nevertheless, the kill listing of the typical home cat is much larger and contains voles, moles, rabbits, squirrels, varied reptiles, and birds. They’ll kill and eat rats as effectively, nevertheless it’s not that straightforward to hunt these rodents down, as they’re fairly nimble and quick.
So, in the event you lately moved near a dense forest, park, or every other pure space, greatest imagine the pet predator has its eyes set on the native wildlife. Even in the event you purchase the cat essentially the most scrumptious meals and snacks, it should nonetheless hunt due to the prey drive. That may be an issue, although, particularly if it eats the useful birds that assist in pollination and pest management.
Can You Make the Cat Cease? A Detailed Information
In case you’re involved about your cat’s killing tendencies, please word that you just in all probability gained’t have the ability to put an entire cease to that. On the brilliant aspect, it’s potential to reduce the casualties:
Lock the cat up when it’s darkish outdoors. Cats are crepuscular creatures and like to hunt throughout twilight. Extra particularly, they get active late at night and early within the morning as that’s when rodents and birds don’t have their guard up. So, all it’s important to do to guard native wildlife is to maintain the fluffy hunter from going out at these hours.
Take away chook feeders from the yard. When you have a feisty feline on the property, the feeder will lure the poor birdies into the “monster’s lair”! Don’t rush to take away the feeder, although. As an alternative, attempt to discover a higher location for it. Going excessive would possibly work (like nailing it to a tree) however do keep in mind that cats are wonderful climbers.
Put a bell on the kitty’s collar. Need to give the cat’s prey a heads-up? Placing a tiny bell on the feline’s collar has confirmed to be a wonderful answer. It gained’t trigger the cat any discomfort, but the birds and critters will at all times pay attention to its presence. Solely spend money on quick-release collars that mechanically unlatch when caught.
Maintain the cat preoccupied. If nothing else works, focus the feline’s thoughts on one thing else. For instance, stuffed mice on a string can simply idiot a cat and switch right into a enjoyable recreation for the 2 of you. And let’s not overlook about laser pointers and feather wands! These toys assist cats keep bodily and mentally sharp.
A fast word: Home cats usually get infected by worms and fleas after they eat mice/different creatures, and the unwanted side effects will be relatively extreme. That’s why common therapies and vaccinations at a veterinary clinic are so essential. They don’t value a lot but can save the furry bud’s life!
Conclusion
Our feline pals don’t prefer to observe anybody’s lead and do what they please, and we love them for that. And, normally, home cats like to show into sofa potatoes and go to sleep into a proper catnap. Nevertheless, though they’ve been residing with us as pets for hundreds of years, their primal looking instincts haven’t actually gone anyplace.
That’s precisely why cats are sometimes caught chasing and killing small rodents, moles, rabbits, and birdies with out essentially consuming them. As an alternative, they kill for enjoyable or carry the prey dwelling. That is regular for cats and there will be a number of causes behind it. However in the event you observe our suggestions, it gained’t be arduous to maintain the killings to a minimal!
Featured Picture Credit score: Markos Loizou, Shutterstock
