Quote:
Originally Posted by Kadance  I think a lot of hunting animals instinctively know to shake the prey and break its neck...this is why I don't let dexter anywhere my hamster lol He could stare at the hamster all day if I let him.
Ps. Remind me never to live in Texas! |
My understanding is this is true...they are also taught hunting skills, and practice in play and for real. Dogs and cats also play practice hunting skills as puppies and kittens, and as adults. If you watch a cat eat, you may well see them pick up food and shake vigorously before eating. I have seen mine do this many, many times. Living in FL we refer to it as "shaking the fire ants off" but it really has little to do with one of FL's most common pests. lol
Dogs and cats today who are human fed regular meals still instinctively hunt and catch and/or kill prey. If they were not human fed and were hungry, they would likely still consume their kill, too.
My cats have brought home plenty of live...and not...catches.
The last was a Titmouse, who we rescued unharmed from the cat and took to a friend with an aviary where he was welcomed into another Titmouse family. One cat brought his Daddy a freshly killed still warm field mouse, apparently because he 'knew' DH had not eaten all day, rebuilding a custom motorcycle which died two days before a show it was entered in...due to a design flaw.
My first Shep/Lab, Honey (Honey Houdini
...also Honey Bunches
), killed a ground burrowing rodent while in a spike choker collar on a steel cable run...and she was so proud of herself. She was 'a natural huntress'...she also brought home a domestic turkey foot from the turkey farm nearby after escaping yet another restraint system...and I was expecting a loaded shotgun carrying farmer hot on her heels.
I am so glad I never had to drive through a sea of tarantulas...I'd probably still be bouncing off the walls in a rubber room somewhere!
We did drive through a sea of tiny frogs at night, though, and it was awful.
