The hunting instinct in your cat is part of its predatory nature that is activated even by small movements; it is part of them to stalk and capture small prey, so sometimes you will notice that they do not even eat them since this behavior does not depend on hunger but on the instinct ingrained in them.
Surely at some point you noticed that your cat has explosive behaviors such as suddenly running around the house, chasing feet or hands, biting during play, or attacking ankles when passing by. These behaviors are a way of completing a hunting cycle that sometimes remains unfinished, which starts with detecting prey, followed by stalking it silently to chase, capture, and bite it, and finally relaxing.
A mistake we make is teaching them that your hands or feet are toys that they can bite, therefore when they go too far with the strength of their bite we think they are behaving badly or that they are upset, and in most situations they are simply letting out their natural hunting instinct.
How do I channel this behavior in a positive way?
The best way to channel this instinct is with a routine of interactive games that include toys that attract your cat’s attention, such as:
- The cat feather toy
- interactive balls
- interactive animal-shaped toys
A toy that we do not recommend is the laser since, not being something solid, your cat will never be able to catch it and will feel frustrated.Your cat’s interest is what will decide which toys you can use more often, so try which one holds its attention the most for playing over long periods of time, and don’t be discouraged if it ignores some of them.
For the play routine, you should try to match a hunting cycle as closely as possible, taking into account key points such as not only keeping it in the air but also moving it on the floor in case it is a feather wand, varying the speed of the movements, hiding it in places where the cat can find it, and most importantly allowing the cat to catch the toy so that it does not get frustrated and completes the hunting cycle.
We cannot simply eliminate a behavior like hunting, which is part of their nature, as this only stresses and frustrates them; it is better to satisfy this need with a play routine that matches this cycle.
