Play and a meat diet can reduce cats’ kill instincts
DOMESTIC cats hunt wildlife less if owners play with them daily and feed them a meat rich food, researchers have found.
Hunting by our feline friends is a conservation and welfare concern, but methods to reduce this unavoidable instinct are controversial and often rely on restricting cat behaviour in ways many owners find unacceptable.
The new study – carried out by the University of Exeter – found that introducing a premium commercial food where proteins came from meat reduced the number of prey animals cats brought home by 36%, and also that five to ten minutes of daily play with an owner resulted in a 25% reduction. Professor Robbie McDonald, of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute, said previous research in this area has focussed on inhibiting cats’ natural ability to hunt, either by keeping them indoors or fitting them with collars, devices and deterrents.
While keeping cats indoors is the only sure-fire way to prevent hunting, as well as protect them from hazards like roads, some owners are worried about the welfare implications of restricting their cats’ outdoor access, he added.
“Our study shows that – using entirely non-invasive, non-restrictive methods – owners can change what the cats themselves want to do. By playing with cats and changing their diets, owners can reduce their impact on wildlife without restricting their freedom.”
Play in the study involved owners simulating hunting by moving a feather toy on a string or wand so cats could stalk, chase and pounce. Owners also gave cats a toy mouse to play with after each “hunt”, mimicking a real kill.
Martina Cecchetti, the PhD student who conducted the experiments as part of the University of Exeter’s ‘Cats, Cat Owners and Wildlife’ project, said it is not clear what elements of the meaty food led to the reduction in hunting. “Some cat foods contain protein from plant sources such as soy, and it is possible that despite forming a ‘complete diet’ these foods leave some cats deficient in one or more micronutrients – prompting them to hunt,” she explained. “However, meat production raises clear climate and environmental issues, so one of our next steps is to find out whether specific micronutrients could be added to cat foods to reduce hunting.”
The study – based on a 12-week trial of 355 cats in 219 households in the South West – also examined the effect of existing devices used to limit hunting by cats.
Colourful “Birds besafe” collar covers reduced numbers of birds captured and brought home by 42%, but had no effect on hunting of mammals. Cat bells had no discernible overall effect – although the researchers say the impact on individual cats varied widely, suggesting some cats learn to hunt successfully despite wearing a bell.