Domesticated cats are not great ambush predators anymore. Mama cats don’t teach their kittens the skills.
I knew a few great ones in my life. Winnie would hang out in the middle of the yard below a power line. Mockingbirds and Blue Jay’s would hang out and screech, “Cat!” Over and over and over. Then get brave enough to dive. She act intimidated, which encouraged them to get closer. And then when they got close enough, she attacked and knocked them out of the sky. We found a few at the door every year.
Booker T’s owner kept a kill spreadsheet for all the things he brought home. She locked the cat door to be able to determine what he brought as he came insude after the baby snake.
We had a mouse and our cat didn’t even play with it just watched. The same as she does with insects.
With the two new kittens, there is a lot more play. Mostly, they lay in wait for one of the other two and attack.
I like to pick them up when they are waiting on ambushing another one. That gets the loudest protests.
And, I am teaching Fleur to use ambush tactics to get ahold of her kitten. Cats weren’t apex predators, so they are skittish around things like children who are loud and scary. Anyway, my hope lies in giving her the tools to hunt him down instead of being upset he isn’t in her lap. As a result she will stop being loud about it.
Polymath Parent 