Cats evolved to be highly stealthy because they are both predators (who often need to be able to get fairly close to their prey before attacking) and prey (who need to be able to move around in their environment without being preyed upon by a larger predator), and they don't "forget" their instincts even if they move in with humans.
Lucy Hoile, a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) who specializes in cats, told Bored Panda these animals hunt even when they're not hungry. "A well-fed cat will still have the innate drive to hunt when the opportunity arises," she said.
They are simply not meant to sit around. "Cats need to display natural behaviors, such as hunting, to maintain emotional wellbeing," Hoile continued. "Without an appropriate opportunity to do this, they will find their own outlets: ambushing owners' ankles or other unsuspecting cats, potentially causing huge problems."
The good thing is that we can help them foster their instincts. And it's not that hard, too. "Play with them!" Hoile said. "Playing with toys provides an opportunity for cats to show the same behaviors they display when hunting - stalking, chasing, grabbing, and biting."
In our earlier piece where we showed kitties preparing for their first sneak attack, cat behavior expert Dr. Marci L. Koski said that it's also important to know that your cat isn't done playing even if it stops after a couple of minutes.
When cats hunt, they go through the following prey sequence: 1) staring, 2) stalking and chasing, 3) pouncing and grabbing, and 4) performing a kill bite. And if they seem to have calmed down, that doesn't automatically mean they lost interest!
"They've just gone back to the first step in the prey sequence -- staring. So keep moving the wand toy and keep your cat engaged (even if it's just staring). You can give your kitty a short break or change lures to reengage them, but don't give up!" Dr. Koski explained.
"Play sessions will be more intense for younger cats, but even older kitties and special needs kitties love to play. Following a play session, give your cat a meal to initiate the hunt-eat-groom-sleep sequence, which is another thing that cats naturally do. You'll find your cat is more relaxed and content if you can stick to a routine schedule focused around play and meals."
Just keep in mind that you can end up with a few "battle scars" after some quality time with your precious kitty.
#13 You Gotta Squint, But I Promise They Are There. I Also Felt Them In My Eyelid
