Hunting Methods

Feline senses suggest cats should hunt at dawn and dusk, in full moonlight, but this varies. In hot summers, cats hunt through the night, and in cold winters, they hunt at noon.

These changes also reflect prey activity. The cat's favorite hunting strategy is to sit and wait. It located a good hunting ground, such as a small mammal’s pathway and sits by it patiently, staring intently.

When prey appears, the cat pounces. It may throw itself on its side and, pinning with its forepaws, rake it with its hind claws. 

When hunting birds, the cat uses ground cover to stalk, slinking forward close to the ground, freezing if it thinks it is detected, until it finally leaps, sprints, springs, or pounces.

Well-fed cats are more patient than hungry cats.  Ferals are better hunters than pets, and nursing mothers are best.

Studies of Swiss farm cats found that mothers took on average just over an hour and a half to capture a rodent, catching something every third or fourth pounce, while nonmothers took almost three times as long and caught every twelfth pounce.

Whether prey is promptly eaten, or even killed, depends on the cat and the context of the hunt. I it is hungry, a cat kills its prey with a swift bite - a cat's canine teeth are perfectly formed to slip between the neck vertebrae of a small rodent, killing it instantly.

Many cats bring live prey back to their home territory, and may even seem to offer it to their owners. Mothers bring back prey for their young to kill, teaching them hunting skills, and these cats may regard their owners as helpless kittens.

Live prey that is carried some distance is disoriented, and easier to recapture or play with. Hunting play is a curious phenomenon; after the hunt, many pet cats literally dance with delight, taking high, curving, pantomime leaps.

This is most common after dangerous prey, such as a rat, has been killed. Ethologist Paul Leyhausen termed this "overflo play," a cathartic release from the tension of the hunt.

It is a common behavior in pet cats, perhaps a perpetuation of juvenile behavior, but is rarely seen in feral cats. Tormenting of prey, such as batting and throwing, may also serve some as yet unknown function.