If your cat’s outgoing, they’ll be going out hunting

WHEN your cat comes in with a mouse in his mouth, he could well have a swagger in his step too.

That’s because those that prey on wildlife have certain personality traits, a study suggests. And cats that were described by their owners as more extroverted or less neurotic were more likely to hunt, the researchers found.

The findings could help owners use specific strategies targeted to their cat’s personality in order to reduce its desire to hunt, while not affecting its happiness, the researchers suggested.

‘Hunting cats that showed higher scores for extraversion or lower scores for neuroticism are most likely to benefit from being stimulated and encouraged in physical activity, and by opportunities to reproduce natural feline behaviour in the home environment,’ the Exeter University team said.

These activities can potentially include toys that mimic prey, as well as ‘feeding enrichment’, for example hiding food or the use of puzzle feeders – objects that must be manipulated in different ways to release the food.

For the study, reported in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, the owners of 162 cats completed a 48-item questionnaire about their pet’s personality. It measured the ‘Feline Five’ traits of neuroticism (such as being shy), extraversion (being curious), dominance (bullying or aggressive), impulsiveness (erratic or reckless), and agreeableness (affectionate and friendly).

The pets were classed as hunters by the researchers if they brought back at least one item of prey to their home during the time they were studied.