Have you ever noticed your cat sometimes has an adventurous palate? Well, I mean more adventurous than yours might be when it comes to the meat choice of the day? Welcome to the “beast feast!” Cats love to hunt mice. That is nothing new. Does your cat chase after and then dine on mice? Why do cats do this when they have access to a good bowl of cat food? Well, it’s not that the cat food does not suit his palate. Blame the hunt for mice on biology, ancestry and basic hard-wiring.
Consider this: A century ago, domestic cats were mainly outdoor animals, kept by people primarily for pest control measures. Cats are known for their supreme hunting skills. The African wildcat, for example, a close cousin of the cat, is a notable hunter with such precise hearing that it can often locate prey through auditory cues alone.
As vetstreet.com explains, cats also consume prey in order to get the needed amino acid, taurine. Cats do not make enough of this on their own, so it must be obtained through their diet. Meat is the only product that has enough of this essential nutrient to meet the demands of a cat’s body.
Cats are born hunters and even as young as six weeks of age, kittens will demonstrate this ability by pouncing on their food. Hunting is an instinct of survival for cats and cats will typically employ stealth-like prowess when slowly approaching their prey on their bellies and then ultimately pouncing towards victory!
Now, domestic cats that mainly stay indoors will hunt less than outdoor cats because they don’t have access to mice. In fact, many indoor cats don’t even know how to kill. Instead, they will play with something they catch and then perhaps bring it to you because they simply don’t know how to bring it to its demise. We may see this as an offering. To cat, it is simply a work in progress. The cat caught it; now you have to kill it!
So, hunting a mouse and eating it is normal behavior for a cat. Yes, it can be disgusting, but to a cat it is normal and perhaps even a bit fun. It is important for cats to exercise this innate ability, even if the only thing they are “hunting” is a cat toy! Be advised, however, if your cat does go outdoors, it is essential to deworm him at least two times a year, as rodents are known to carry intestinal parasites that can harm both cats and humans.
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
