Look What the Cat Dragged In: A Closer Look at this Peculiar Feline Behavior

Domestic felines may seem like they’ve shunned many of their primal instincts, and yet, many ancient behaviors remain in tact. Hunting, for example, is one feline behavior that persists despite the fullness of their food bowl. Sure, pet cats don’t have to be the predators their ancestors once were, but it sure is fun to bring home a tender morsel or two!

It Comes Naturally

Like the bobcats, cougars, jaguarundis, and ocelots that still live in Texas, domestic felines are natural-born killers. They simply can’t help but answer the call to prey upon smaller animals. Regardless of whether they’re actually hungry or not, hunting is a feline behavior that can’t be ignored.

When They Play

Certainly, an indoor-only cat who has little to no access to hunting will continue demonstrating their skills. You’ll see it when playing with a laser pointer or dangling feathers and in their proclivity for ambushing your ankles.

Domestic cats who are allowed to venture outside have many opportunities to take down rodents, birds, bugs, and more. We’ve even heard of cats killing snakes and lizards! As obligate carnivores, cats are animals who have fine tuned the art of hunting – and have been ever since they aligned their interests with our own.

Mutually Beneficial

Since the advent of agriculture, cats have been employed (and adored) for reducing and eliminating rodent populations around our cherished food sources.

They’re fast, reliable, and wholly capable of ridding places of other animals that spread disease. To this day, firehouses, golf courses, farms, fish markets, retailers, and communities explicitly encourage feral (spayed/neutered) cats to manage rodent populations.

A Trophy for You

It’s all well and good to know that hunting is a perfectly natural feline behavior, but why do cats bring their kills home? Some cats don’t even kill their prey. Instead, they simply play with it and bat it around. In any case, the drive to bring home their catch is a strong one.

We Can’t Hunt

Some experts believe that cats bring their trophy kills back home to their owners because they perceive us as unable to catch our own food. Sweet, right? The following can also explain this uniquely feline behavior:

• Female cats are more prone to this act due to their maternal instincts. Since they’re wholly responsible for feeding their young, mother cats hunt animals and bring them home for their kittens.
• You may be your cat’s charge. Acting out their role as mother and provider, your cat will occasionally bring you little “presents”.

Feline Behavior

Even if your cat appears clumsy, lazy, and uninterested in anything beyond their food bowl, we assure you that they’re still sleek, stealthy, and focused predators. Well known for hunting birds, rodents, gophers, and even chickens, cats have earned their rightful place among other powerful predators.

We love hearing about curious, strange, or funny feline behavior patterns. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns!