Cats are hunters by nature. Where dogs chase and overcome prey, cats wait, stalk, and pounce. Cats rarely miss their prey; they wait for the right moment to strike, when victory is almost assured. There are many ways to stimulate your cat’s hunting instincts through play.
A cat has several different stances or body positions for hunting and play hunting.
- Mousing: a low to the ground stalk, followed by a pounce or a one-paw scoop
- Birding: an upward scooping motion, with toes spread and claws out
- Fishing: a downward scooping motion, with the paw bent like a hook and claws out
- Bugging: clapping both paws together onto the target, often after a leap or pounce
Different toys and how you use them can simulate different types of prey and evoke different hunting reactions. A toy on a string dragged along the floor can be a “mouse” — mice will go still around a cat, then dart away unexpectedly. Watch your cat’s body language while you play at mousing. The very tip of his tail may twitch; his whiskers will be spread wide and his ears will be alertly pointing towards the prey.
A toy on a string dangled above your cat can be a “bird”. You may already be familiar with the upward scooping motion of birding — a cat that wants attention may bat at your ankles from under the couch or at the newspaper in front of your face.
Want to play at fishing with your cat? When your kitty is on a shelf, table, or the fridge, hold a toy on a stick below the level of the cat’s perch. He’ll scoop for it with his hooked paw. And a scrap of paper or feather on a string can make a fluttering butterfly for your cat to chase.
You can always mix different types of hunting in play with your cat. He may also have one type of hunting play he prefers over the others! Just make sure your fingers are safe; a toy on a string will keep your hands out of harm’s way if your pouncer gets enthusiastic.
Learn more about cat physiology.
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