Hunter!

[Dilbertian]

FattyCat has turned out to be a hunter! And worse, one who brings his prey home. I've just shooed him back out with a mouse in his mouth, and I think he then ate it outside.

Is he hunting and catching more because he's settled in, or is it because we're not feeding him enough? He was obese when he came to us two months ago.

No idea @Dilbertian but mine brought me my first present last week, which in itself was fine, but he too ended up eating it which is just gross...I knew they hunted, but not that ate their catch (head and all) 🤢🤮🤮🤢

Some cats are hunters regardless of how much you feed them. Others couldn't catch a cold...

I had the same last week- if the bird didn’t die of shock my scream would have finished the job. Mine gets fed loads.. it’s a trophy.

Ours is a tortie we call her predator or killer
As I type she's being disavowed of her latest bird in the conservatory by dh
Who's working from home

Some are more hunters than others:

Silkycat is vicious with a fishing rod toy and we thought she would be a highly successful hunter. However in reality she barely moves off the patio. Her much missed sister brought us presents though.

We were warned Desertcat would be a hunter. However keeping him in overnight and a diet of grainfree food seems to have cut him down to only occasional gifts.

Personality of cat, keeping them in at peak hunting times and what you actually feed them seem to make the biggest difference in my experience.

He's training you and you have now progressed to the Hunting for Beginners module. Congratulations!

Silkycat is vicious with a fishing rod toy and we thought she would be a highly successful hunter. However in reality she barely moves off the patio.

FattyCat may occasionally bat a toy if you dangle it sufficiently, and barely moved off our patio for his first month. So we didn't think he would be a hunter. How wrong we were!

Something has been switched on in him. He tried to kill my dressing-gown belt this morning.

Desertcat thinks toys are beneath him. He is a real cat who doesn't play.

Their predecessors used to live a quiet life in London. I then moved to the countryside and they had a personality change ! As far as they were concerned I'd provided them with an all you can catch buffet of mice and shrews.

The university of Exeter did a study on predation in cats and they found that higher levels of good quality protein and more play time reduces the frequency of kills
www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_841913_en.html

Totally agree with this. While Desertcat doesn't understand play with humans - he just stares blankly at you wondering why you are so weird - the diet really does make a difference. He likes going about checking his garden, watching the birds and climbing trees but we haven't had a gift in weeks.