A cat has a much greater perception of the world around her than we do, relying less exclusively on her sense of vision and more on her other senses, particularly smell and hearing. This also enables her to gain a better insight into what has occurred recently in her patch and, especially, where she might find some tasty prey. By recognizing and respecting your cat’s sensational wild side, you will deepen your understanding of her needs, allowing her to be herself at home.
Today’s domestic cats may appear far removed from their wild relatives, but beneath their home-loving exteriors their natural survival instincts remain essentially intact. The evidence for this can easily be found in most major cities, where colonies of feral cats—domestic cats that have reverted back to living in the wild—are likely to frequent urban areas such as railway embankments and docks and reside in empty or derelict buildings.
Most feral cats occupy cities because there is more food to be scavenged, but they are highly adaptable and may reside in rural areas as well. Here they tend to live more solitary lives, relying more upon their hunting skills.
Effective hunting relies on excellent coordination and concentration as well as speed. Even so, most of the hunting attempts of domestic cats end in failure.
Feral kittens can look often identical to their domestic counterparts, since they are usually descended from strays, but they will shun human contact.
Night Creatures
Feral cats tend to be creatures of the night and are unlikely to be seen in the open until after dark, when they emerge from their hiding places to embark on their nocturnal lifestyles. These cats are usually the descendants of strays, which have been forced to eke out a living on the streets both by scavenging and hunting, just like their wild ancestors, seizing rodents and birds when the opportunity permits. The prolific nature of cats means that these feral populations can grow quickly, creating colonies that can be bothersome for people in the neighborhood.
One characteristic of cats is that they are exceptionally patient hunters, with a feline being prepared to wait quietly for hours for a mouse to emerge into the open.
How Feral Cats Behave
Cats of this sort are not friendly; they avoid human contact, tending to skulk away in the shadows, with the eerie calls of the queens and aggressive encounters between toms creating what can easily become a fearful night-time cacophony. It is nearly impossible to tame an adult feral cat; as a result, cat welfare organizations do not attempt to do so when called in to deal with a colony. Instead, they try to trap the cats, arrange for them to be neutered then release them into the wild again. Ultimately, the colony to die out within a few years, since most feral cats have a much shorter lifespan than pampered domestic cats.
Even young feral kittens are usually much less responsive toward any human company than ordinary kittens. They will frequently hiss and scratch, rebuffing attempts to tame them, and are very likely to show a tendency to wander, often making it very difficult to domesticate them. They are also often unpredictable, and may lash out without any warning if they become anxious.
Cats are natural athletes, able to run, climb, and jump easily. Domestic cats display all these skills, although in the case of their wildcat relatives, a greater degree of specialization can be seen, depending on their lifestyles. Cheetahs, for example, rely exclusively on their pace, rather than climbing ability, to catch prey.
Cats are able to measure a jump with great accuracy. The muscular hind legs power their progress, and they touch down first with outstretched front legs.
A Cat’s Legs
The way in which cats run became clear as the result of a series of pioneering sequential photographs taken by Eadweard Muybridge. These were included in his book Animal Locomotion, which first appeared in print in 1887.
The photos revealed that the cat’s gait actually changes as it increases its speed and begins running. Cats start by using a leg on one side of the body and then moving a leg on the opposite side of the body, continuing in sequence. For instance, they start with their right front foot, followed by the left hindleg, which gives increased stability as their pace picks up. Once they are running, they use their hindlegs together, which are well muscled and provide the major propulsive thrust. Cats actually walk on their toes rather than their feet, the bones of which contribute to the length of the leg so they are able to cover more ground when running. This is further enhanced by a very flexible backbone that acts like a spring, helping them to increase their stride length even further. This ability is most evident in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), which can cover around 10 percent more ground at each bound when running. As a result, it can close in on its prey that much more effectively.
This sequence of images shows the way a cat moves, with its long stride allowing it to cover more ground at each bound.
A Cat’s Claws
All cats have claws, although the cheetah’s claws are not retractable, which helps this fast-moving feline maintain its balance even when turning at speed. Cats use their claws for a number of different purposes, perhaps the most obvious being to seize their prey. They also employ their claws when fighting and can inflict painful wounds with them. In a more passive role, cats use their claws for climbing and grooming. The claws themselves tend to wear down naturally, but in older pet cats that no longer spend much time outside, the claws may become overgrown quite easily and will need to be trimmed back. If your pet’s claws are regularly getting caught in things, this is a likely sign that the claws are becoming rounded at their tips, which may also make walking difficult.
The claws of a domestic cat are normally kept hidden. They are sharp and pointed at the tips and curve slightly backward.
Coats As Camouflage
The patterns on the coats of wild cats, which look attractive and have led to their persecution for the fur trade, actually aid their hunting skills. The tiger’s stripes, for example, help to break up its shape in the forests, providing what is sometimes known as disruptive camouflage.
The sandy color of lions helps them to merge in dry grassland, while leopards (Panthera pardus) in Africa usually display a typical spotted patterning on a light background, which helps to conceal their presence in open country. Leopards found in Asia, where these wildcats are more common in the forest, may appear black. They are sometimes described as black panthers, although they still retain the underlying leopard pattern and are exactly the same species.
The Importance Of Scent
Cats have a remarkable ability to detect scent from just a few molecules. They use their urine and droppings as scent markers, often depositing them in prominent positions within their territory. The penis of a male cat is located at the rear of the body rather than on the underside, like a dog, so that when urinating against a tree or fence post, the urine leaves its scent at a height roughly in line with the cat’s nose. This increases the likelihood that another cat passing the spot later on will easily detect the scent.
A Cat’s Tale How Kittens Learn To Hunt From Their Mother
A cat’s desire to hunt is partially instinctive, yet it also needs to be learned. It is a skill that is passed on from one generation to the next, with kittens learning by watching their mother. She instructs them once they are old enough to accompany her on hunting trips. They watch her stalk and catch prey, which she often brings back to them alive so they can learn how to kill their quarry. That is why kittens reared on farms rather than in kennels will prove to be the most effective mousers.
In contrast, most domestic cats kept as household pets have been reared in complete isolation from their natural prey. As a result, although they may instinctively catch a bird or a small mammal, they do not know how to kill it. They then end up pawing at the unfortunate creature in what is often mis-interpreted as a sign of sadistic cruelty rather than ignorance.
The Scratching Post Why Does My Cat Scent Mark At Home?
Domestic cats will frequently mark their scent in the home, especially if another cat has recently been introduced. It is often wrongly assumed that a cat that suddenly refuses to use her litter box under these circumstances has suffered a breakdown in toilet training—but this behavior is really undertaken deliberately as a way of reinforcing her territorial claims.
Scratching of furniture may also occur for this same reason, with the claw marks and the associated scent from the sweat pads of the toes again serving as territorial markers.
When a female is receptive for mating, the presence of chemical messengers, called pheromones, in her urine draws male cats from a wide area. This is attributed to the presence of the vomeronasal, or Jacobson’s, organ, which is present in the roof of the mouth. Nerve impulses run from here to the part of the brain linked with reproductive behavior, and help to register the presence of a female nearby. When sniffing the air for this purpose, cats adopt a particular posture known as flehmening and breathe air into their mouths so the scent passes directly over this organ. The cat will lift his head, curling the lips upward and exposing the teeth in the upper jaw.
A Cat’s Ears
Cats have far more acute hearing than we do, and this again directly aids their survival. Servals (Felis serval), for example, are able to pinpoint accurately the calls of rodents, which are made in the ultrasonic frequency range and are therefore inaudible to our ears. As a result, cats can obtain prey easily in grassland areas where rodents are hidden by vegetation. This is also a skill that helps domestic cats find rodents, while we ourselves may be unaware of their presence.
A Cat’s Eyes
For hunting, cats tend to rely on a combination of sight and hearing rather than scent. Being active at night means that a cat’s eyes have become adept at seeing images clearly in total darkness. This is possible because, while the basic anatomy does not differ from that of our own eyes, a cat’s pupil narrows in bright light and becomes slit-like, restricting the light that enters the eye. In darkness the cat’s pupil expands in diameter and becomes rounded in shape, allowing as much light as possible to pass through to the back of the eye, to the retina, where the image is formed.
In addition, there are two types of cells present on the retina, known as rods and cones. Cats have a higher percentage of rods, while we have more cones. The result is that humans have better color vision than cats, but we cannot see so well in the dark because rods function more effectively when there is less available light.
Anatomy Of A Cat’s Senses
Whiskers
The whiskers are long, specialized hairs, which can help cats determine if a gap is wide enough to squeeze through. Whiskers are on the sides of the face and above the eyes.
Ears
Cats have very sensitive hearing, with their ears able to trap sound waves effectively and help them pinpoint the direction of the sound.
Eyes
The cat’s eyes are positioned forward on the head and their overlapping field of vision helps to locate the exact position of the prey.
Sense of smell
Cats have a keen sense of smell, relying both on the nose and the vomeronasal organ in the roof of the mouth.
Scent glands
Scent glands on the surface of the skin are used to leave an invisible scent mark.
Cats are very adept at climbing around the home and often like to sleep near computers, which provide a source of warmth.
Why Your Cat’s Eyes Flash In The Dark
The other major structural difference in a cat’s eyes is the presence of a reflective layer behind the retina, known as the tapetum lucidum. This acts like a mirror, reflecting the light back through the retinal cells and creating a clearer image. The effects of this layer are very obvious if you inadvertently shine a flashlight in your cat’s face in the dark; the light will reflect back, highlighting her eyes and causing them to glow. The same thing happens, unfortunately, when a cat is crossing a road at night. In this case it is very likely to be blinded by the oncoming vehicle’s headlights and may be unable to get out of harm’s way. As a result, cats are more likely to be struck by a vehicle at night than during the daytime.
Binocular Vision
As a hunter, a cat needs to have acute senses and especially eyesight so it can determine exactly the right moment to pounce on its potential prey. Cats have binocular vision, which effectively gives them a three-dimensional image. As a result of their slight variance in position within the skull, each eye provides a slightly different but overlapping image.
The brain can use the information to build up a very precise view of where the prey is located, enabling the cat to strike with pinpoint accuracy. Even a slight deviation off-target would otherwise enhance the likelihood of its quarry escaping.
The eyes in the cat’s head are set pointing forward, which means that it has relatively poor peripheral vision, away from its immediate line of sight. Conversely, the cat’s natural prey tend to have eyes located more toward the sides of the face, since this makes it easier for them to detect movement nearby, which could indicate a stalking cat or other predator.
Kittens are not born with a full array of hunting skills. They lack effective binocular vision at first, which handicaps their hunting ability.
Learning Peripheral Vision
Not all cat breeds have a similar sense of peripheral vision. Siamese and their Oriental relatives are less adept in this respect than American shorthairs, for example. It is also a skill that cats need to learn, with young kittens not being able to use it for hunting until they are at least three months old. Even then, they will not prove to be such proficient hunters as their parents, confirming that the art of hunting is something that must be learned. In the wild, young cheetah cubs, in particular, may die from starvation after they have become independent, simply because they do not master this skill quickly enough.
A Cat’s Tongue
Cats have a very muscular tongue, which serves a variety of purposes. Its most obvious feature is its rough surface, which enables the cat to rasp meat from the bone. It also serves to groom fur very effectively—just like a hairbrush—pulling out any loose hairs as it does so.
Unfortunately, the hairs are difficult for the cat to remove, so they may then be swallowed and can give rise to a hairball or fur ball in the stomach. Domestication increases the possibility of this problem in long-haired breeds, such as the Persian.
Cats can use the tip of their tongue like a ladle to lap up water.
The tongue can also be expanded at its tip to act like a ladle. This then allows a cat to lap up water with relative ease, although cats usually do not drink significant amounts, because they meet most of their fluid requirement from that present in the tissues of their prey. Wild species such as the sand cat (Felis margarita), which is found in the semidesert areas of North Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia, where water is in short supply, benefit most from this ability since it frees them from the need to drink regularly.
The Scratching Post Why Are Cats Seen As Fertility Symbols?
The breeding cycle of the female cat is a result of the solitary lifestyle of her wild ancestors; it developed to ensure that conception occurs after chance encounter. Unlike most mammals, the act of mating triggers the release of eggs from the ovary so both the sperm and eggs are released into the reproductive tract at the same time. As a result, domestic cats have a reputation for being fecund simply because they conceive readily and continue to breed until the end of their lives. Females should be neutered at an early age to guard against unwanted kittens.
Cats are very adaptable in the way they can use their strength. While they have a potentially fatal array of teeth, female cats are able to carry their offspring in their mouths, without leaving a mark on them.
Bringing Home Prey: What Your Cat Is Telling You
If your cat roams outdoors, she may sometimes return home with prey she has caught. Cats will often bring the unfortunate creatures back alive, depositing them in the home for you to find. A female cat normally displays this type of behavior when her litter reaches the weaning stage. It may very well be that the cat is displaying misplaced maternal instincts toward her immediate family, encouraging you to master the basics of hunting and killing prey! Trying to overcome this problem is not easy, but locking the cat flap at night and when you go out should help to ensure that you are not greeted by the local wildlife indoors when you return home.
Do not scold your pet for hunting her natural prey, because she will not understand what she has done wrong. Try to persuade your pet to transfer all her hunting instincts to her toys instead.
The Scratching Post Bird Chasing
Although it is distressing when cats catch birds in the backyard, they tend not to be very successful. That is why they can often be seen lying crouched down on the lawn, wagging their tail in what is often interpreted as a sign of frustration.
Domestic cats naturally prefer to prey on rodents, but small mammals such as mice are not numerous in the vicinity of most homes. Cats are therefore drawn to hunt birds, which present a much more difficult target, especially in a typical backyard setting where there is usually no natural cover to help the cat get close to its intended target. Therefore, the cat’s strike rate under these circumstances is much lower than would normally be the case. Adult birds, in particular, are also alert and adept at remaining out of the grasp of domestic cats.
A Cat’s Tale Why Do Many Cats Have Tabby Coats?
Tabby patterning is common in non-pedigree cats because it can bring survival advantages. Kittens are less evident to predators because the patterning breaks up their outline. This ability to blend into the background may benefit the cat’s hunting ability, making her less conspicuous to her prey—especially as cats tend to be creatures of the twilight zone.
Cats can not only jump horizontally, but are also able to use their hind legs like a spring to jump vertically as well. Servals use this ability to hunt birds, stalking close to a flock feeding on the ground, then jumping up and trying to knock one of them out of the air as they take flight.
