• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Cats
    • Cat Behavior Problems
    • Cat Health
    • Cat Nutrition
    • Cat Training
  • Dogs
    • Heat Cycle Info
    • Dog Behavior
    • Dog Health
  • Fish
  • Did You Know?
PET-happy logo

pet-happy.com

Tips to Improve Your Pet's Behavior, Health, and Life...

You are here: Home / Did You Know? / Stuff that makes your cat a perfect hunter

Stuff that makes your cat a perfect hunter

April 30, 2013; By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

Research shows domestic cats are extremely good hunters with an average of every third pounce resulting in a catch. Only a few other animals, mostly large cats, can beat it.

Is it a coincidence? Not even close, here are the reasons why cats are one of the most successful hunters ever walked on the Earth.

Click the image to see it larger, or read below for a textual version of the infographic.

Stuff that makes your cat a perfect hunter - an infographic

1. ears

A cat can hear frequencies of ultrasound, inaudible by many animals, including humans and dogs. Smaller rodents, like mice, communicate with each other in those frequencies, which makes them easily discoverable by cats.

Each of the cat’s ears can be rotated by 180 degrees INDEPENDENTLY of each other. This lets the cat locate the source of the sound with admirable precision.

2. whiskers

A cat not only uses them to measure openings, but whiskers can also detect movements of the prey held in the mouth. Each of the whiskers is attached to a separate nerve which lets the cat tell the exact direction and the strength of the movement.

Whiskers can also give information about air currents caused by the movements of nearby prey.

A cat has whiskers on the back of his forearms, as well. It’s significant when the cat presses his prey against the ground, and no longer sees it. Whiskers tell if and how the prey moves.

3. eyes

Even though a cat can not see in total darkness, he is still able to see well in conditions what we presume as total darkness.

The vision of a cat also has a high ability to notice movements and see separate objects in high contrast. Seeing a running prey is usually the primary hunting drive for a cat.

4. teeth

A cat can kill his prey with one, single bite, also known as “nape bite”. Though often he will not kill his prey instantaneously but will release it and recapture again. This serves as a practice.

5. tongue

A cat has backward oriented barbs on his tongue. They not only help to tear the skin off meat but also serves for grooming purposes. A cat must remove remains of his prey from his coat, otherwise, he would smell like rotten meat in a distance, alerting potential prey.

6. rear

A cat usually presses his prey against the ground while still being in the movement. His hind legs and the whole rear part stops the body with a massive force, so the front paws remain in the same spot and do not release the prey.

7. tail

The tail helps a cat to hold balance during steep turns, as well as assists in the ability to change the direction of a leap. Both are important if a mouse suddenly changes the direction of a run, or travels in zig-zag.

6. stalking

A cat is an expert in stalking. This makes up for not being very good at long-distance runs. A cat may sneak up to his prey within a distance of a single pounce, without the prey even noticing anything suspicious.

7. biological clock

A cat has a very good sense of time. He knows exactly when his prey is most active and goes hunting at those times. The prey is less cautious then.

We wrote more topics like this one. Please click below.

  • How to Choose Cat Accessories For Your New Cat
    How to Choose Cat Accessories For Your New Cat
  • 17 tips for owners of more than one cat
    17 tips for owners of more than one cat
  • How to stop a cat from spraying urine in the house
    How to stop a cat from spraying urine in the house
  • 9 Myths About Domestic Cats
    9 Myths About Domestic Cats

August 19, 2020

About us

This site is lovingly written by:
Signe Munkevica, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Maris Munkevics, Animal Biologist and Animal Behaviorist.

Primary Sidebar

Recent articles:

My cat is running around like crazy! What to do?

How To Get Cats To Stop Eating Plants: 4 Ways

Can cats eat raw fish?

  • Top 10 Causes For An Excessive Chewing Dog
  • How to Get a Cat into a Carrier Voluntarily
  • How to stop your cat from biting when playing
  • How to stop a cat from scratching bedroom door at night
  • Why is my cat peeing on my stuff?

Dog Behavior

Female french bulldog looking at you with her head tilted

Can a female dog get pregnant while bleeding?

  • Can a female dog get pregnant while bleeding?
  • What to do when your dog is in heat?
  • Do Male Dogs Go In Heat?

Fish

20 Gallon Fish Tank

Best 20 Gallon Aquarium

  • Step by step guide to set up a fish tank
  • How much light does an aquarium need
  • Reasons for white cloudy water in aquariums and possible solutions

Newest Articles

My cat is running around like crazy! What to do?

May 26, 2022 By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

Is your cat frequently running in circles, trying to catch imaginary objects, zooming (aka cat zoomies) back and forth around the room or even climbing the curtains? Even though cats are well known sprinters, such sudden bursts of activity, at their … Continue here » about My cat is running around like crazy! What to do?

How To Get Cats To Stop Eating Plants: 4 Ways

May 19, 2022 By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

This spring, we decided to grow lettuce and dill in our windowsill. What a good intention. We could have fresh salad and herbs to make healthy meals. We planted the seeds with our kids help and we all were excited about the prospects. We were even … Continue here » about How To Get Cats To Stop Eating Plants: 4 Ways

Can cats eat raw fish?

May 13, 2022 By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

There are many myths surrounding the field about your cats diet. The most common ones are things like: Your cat can receive balanced nutrition only from commercial cat food.Meat-by products are evil. We wrote a whole article about this one.Cats … Continue here » about Can cats eat raw fish?

Top 10 Causes For An Excessive Chewing Dog

May 6, 2022 By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

Is your dog chewing you out of house and home? Of course we know that dogs chew a lot when they are puppies. While most dogs outgrow this habit, some may still continue with this activity and keep chewing on things after they grow up. Sometimes, a … Continue here » about Top 10 Causes For An Excessive Chewing Dog

How to Get a Cat into a Carrier Voluntarily

April 29, 2022 By Maris Munkevics, Signe Munkevica

Getting an unwilling cat into a cat carrier can be a hard task. Almost every cat owner will confirm this. But what about your cat going in to their carrier of their own free will? Many of you are probably shaking your head no and say that it is not … Continue here » about How to Get a Cat into a Carrier Voluntarily

Footer

About us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Privacy policy
  • About Us
  • Contact us

Search

Affiliate Disclosure:

The following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  This is used for keeping the blog up and running smoothly. Please know this does not change the price you see on Amazon. Thank you for your help and support of Pet-happy.com!

© 2022 PET-Happy.com
DMCA.com Protection Status