Cats that go outdoors often hunt, and some bring mice, birds or other small animals into the house. Cats Protection, a UK cat welfare charity, says hunting is a natural behaviour that cannot always be stopped completely, but that owners can reduce it. A controlled trial published in Current Biology in 2021 tested several practical measures. This article summarises both. It is general welfare information, not a substitute for advice from a vet or a qualified cat behaviourist.
Why cats hunt
Cats Protection explains that cats are predators with a natural instinct to hunt, and that the drive is not motivated by hunger: even well-fed cats have an inbuilt need to chase and catch things. It says the sequence of stalking, pouncing, playing and killing releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. In the wild, it notes, cats spend a lot of time on hunting expeditions, whereas pet cats are given a bowl of food that takes little time to eat and makes little use of their senses. The charity therefore stresses giving cats plenty of chances to play so that they stay mentally stimulated.
Why cats bring prey home
Cats Protection says the popular idea that a cat is presenting a gift, or teaching its owner to hunt, is a myth. Its explanation is that home is where the cat feels safe and secure. A cat may not want to eat the catch where another animal could steal it, so it takes it to its core territory to eat undisturbed or store for later. The charity adds that this can be read as a sign the cat feels safe with its owner. It also explains that the apparent play with prey, catching and releasing repeatedly, is a hunting technique that tires the animal and reduces the cat’s chance of being injured.
What Cats Protection recommends
- Keep cats in at dawn and dusk. Cats and their prey are most active then, so the charity advises keeping cats indoors at night.
- Provide regular play. It suggests interactive play sessions and feeding toys to redirect the hunting drive, for example fishing-rod toys that let the cat stalk and pounce, with the cat allowed to catch the toy now and then to avoid frustration. Very short games of one to two minutes are fine, it says, and older cats may enjoy play three or four times a day.
- Protect garden birds. It advises not feeding wildlife on the ground, keeping bird tables away from fences or hiding places, hanging feeders from a tall, thin shepherd’s hook that cats cannot climb, and making bird table posts hard to climb.
What a controlled trial found
Cecchetti and colleagues at the University of Exeter reported a controlled and replicated trial in Current Biology in 2021 comparing non-invasive measures with existing devices that impede hunting. They measured the number of animals cats captured and brought home, relative to controls and to the period before treatment. The abstract reports:
- Households given a high meat protein, grain-free food recorded a 36% decrease in animals brought home.
- Households that introduced 5 to 10 minutes of daily object play recorded a 25% decrease.
- Puzzle feeders increased the numbers by 33%.
- Birdsbesafe collar covers reduced the number of birds brought home by 42% but had no discernible effect on mammals.
- Cat bells had no discernible effect.
The authors concluded that reductions can come from positive contributions to cat nutrition and behaviour that reduce the tendency to hunt, rather than from impeding hunting. Any change of a cat’s diet is best discussed with a vet.
How the two sources fit together
The trial’s finding on play matches the charity’s emphasis on regular interactive play. Cats Protection describes puzzle feeders as entertainment for indoor cats, and the trial did not find that they reduce prey brought home.
If a cat brings something in
Cats Protection says owners should not punish the cat, because it will not understand what it has done wrong, and shouting causes stress that could lead to other unwanted behaviours. It advises trying not to react. If the animal is dead, it suggests keeping it from the cat, wearing gloves, double-bagging small animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, hedgehogs and small birds and putting them in the household waste bin, then washing hands thoroughly. For larger animals, it advises contacting the local authority. If the animal is alive, keep the cat in another room, encourage the animal to leave through a clear route and keep the cat inside for a while afterwards. For an injured animal, the charity lists the RSPCA in England and Wales, the Scottish SPCA in Scotland and local council animal welfare enforcement in Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Does feeding a cat more stop it hunting?
Not according to Cats Protection, which says the urge to hunt is not driven by hunger and continues in well-fed cats.
Do bells stop cats catching birds?
In the Exeter trial, cat bells had no discernible effect on the numbers of animals brought home.
The bottom line
Hunting is an instinct rather than a sign of hunger or a gift, so the most useful steps in the sources are regular interactive play, keeping cats in around dawn and dusk and keeping garden feeders out of reach. The Exeter trial found that daily play and a high meat protein food each cut prey brought home, and that collar covers cut bird captures but not mammals. Punishing a cat is not recommended.
Sources
- Cats Protection, “Behaviour focus: hunting”
- Cats Protection, “Why do cats bring you dead animals?”
- Cats Protection, “Cats and Play”
- Cecchetti M, Crowley SL, Goodwin CED, McDonald RA, “Provision of High Meat Content Food and Object Play Reduce Predation of Wild Animals by Domestic Cats”, Current Biology (2021)