Domestic cats hunt wildlife less if owners play with them daily and feed them a meat-rich food, new research shows.
Hunting by cats is a conservation and welfare concern, but methods to reduce this are controversial and often rely on restricting cat behaviour in ways many owners find unacceptable.
The new study – by the University of Exeter – found that introducing a premium commercial food where proteins came from meat reduced the number of prey animals cats brought home by 36%, and also that five to ten minutes of daily play with an owner resulted in a 25% reduction.
“Previous research in this area has focussed on inhibiting cats’ ability to hunt, either by keeping them indoors or fitting them with collars, devices and deterrents,” said Professor Robbie McDonald, of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute.
“While keeping cats indoors is the only sure-fire way to prevent hunting, some owners are worried about the welfare implications of restricting their cat’s outdoor access.
“Our study shows that – using entirely non-invasive, non-restrictive methods – owners can change what the cats themselves want to do.
“By playing with cats and changing their diets, owners can reduce their impact on wildlife without restricting their freedom.”
Play in the study involved owners simulating hunting by moving a feather toy on a string and wand so cats could stalk, chase and pounce. Owners also gave cats a toy mouse to play with after each “hunt”, mimicking a real kill.
It is not clear what elements of the meaty food led to the reduction in hunting.
“Some cat foods contain protein from plant sources such as soy, and it is possible that despite forming a ‘complete diet’ these foods leave some cats deficient in one or more micronutrients –prompting them to hunt,” said Martina Cecchetti, the PhD student who conducted the experiments.
“However, meat production raises clear climate and environmental issues, so one of our next steps is to find out whether specific micronutrients could be added to cat foods to reduce hunting.
“We also plan to investigate whether different kinds of play have different effects, and whether combining strategies can reduce hunting even further.”
