Foreword by Dr Sam Taylor – vet and specialist in feline medicine
“People often ask me what drives their cats’ more curious behaviours.”
• Why do they sleep in such strange places?
• What are they trying to tell me when they meow so much?
• Why do they go missing, only to emerge hours later with a ‘present’ left ceremoniously on the doormat?
This report offers guidance on getting ‘instinctively closer’ to your pet – understanding why they do the things they do and why they’re not as far removed from their big cat cousins as we might think.
It also explores why wilder natural instincts can sometimes leave them vulnerable and how a little preventative care can help them roam the suburban jungle and the great indoors in safety.
Each section in this guide focuses on a different behaviour, alongside advice to help your family and your cat live together harmoniously.
‘Why does my cat bring in birds and mice?’
It’s easy to forget when they’re curled up in our laps, but cats are predators. Let most cats out and they will eventually do what comes naturally.
The gift of a kill is the ultimate compliment, and it’s in a cat’s instincts to bring home a token of success to someone it regards as family.
Hunting has very little to do with hunger; appetite only really affects their level of enthusiasm. Bringing the prey back home to you indicates that your cat feels secure there and sees your home as a safe place to eat now or keep for later.
However, hunting could increase the risk of your cat ingesting worm eggs, as they’ll often eat rodents or birds (which are often infested with worms) whilst on the hunt. Therefore, if your cat is a hunter it is especially important to ensure they’re protected from worms they may swallow along the way.
56% of owners say their cat regularly visits the neighbours1.
Did you know...
The smallest wildcat today is the Black- footed cat. The females are less than 20 inches (50 cm) long and can weigh as little as 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg)2.
1 Nationally representative survey of 2,000 British cat owners by 3gem research, on behalf of Bayer (2017)
2 Bidner, Jenni. Is My Cat a Tiger? New York, NY: Lark Books, 2006