Due to the habit of hunting small animals and birds, cats annually exterminate billions of wildlife. Not all owners like the calls to keep cats locked at home, and bells and bells on collars are not pleasant and comfortable for every animal.
But a meat-rich diet and a few minutes of daily hunting-like play can significantly reduce the number of wild animals that hunting cats bring home as a gift from the hunt, researchers write in the journal Current Biology.
Robbie MacDonald, an ecologist at the University of Exeter in Cornwall, and his colleagues have tried to figure out why well-fed cats can hunt animals outdoors.
This urge may be triggered by the natural instincts of the hunter or the need to supplement the diet. Cats are carnivores, and some feline foods may not meet all of their dietary needs, McDonald says.
If any of these factors influence hunting behavior, then perhaps increasing the amount of meat in the cat's diet and imitating hunting behavior through play could satisfy the animal's needs without harming wildlife.
MacDonald and colleagues tested the theory on 355 domestic cats in 219 households in the southwest of England. Owners implemented one of several behavioral adjustments within six weeks: switching to a high-meat diet; play for 5-10 minutes every day; placing familiar food in the puzzle feeder; bells or collars to warn birds.
Cats fed a meat-rich diet brought home an average of 36% less prey than before the dietary change, the team calculated.
Cat games consisted of owners forcing their pets to hunt, chase, and pounce on a feather toy, and then gave a toy in the form of a mouse for them to bite. After such games, cats brought 25% less prey, although this concerned mainly mammals, not birds.
Cats that started using puzzle feeders began bringing home more prey from the wild. Bells had no discernible effect, while cats with bird protection collars brought 42% fewer birds home, but this is almost the same as in previous studies.
“We were surprised that the dietary change had such a dramatic effect. Nutrition seems to have something to do with a cat's propensity to hunt, and some cats may need something to supplement with a meat-based diet,”MacDonald explained, adding that he is already working to determine exactly what it can do. be.
Last year, veterinarians talked about how to wean cats from begging for food. Experts are sure that one-time feeding is much more beneficial for the pet's health and has a positive effect on its behavior.