This is sort of related to my recent thread about alpha cats...
For the experienced people, how can you predict if a cat will be a good hunter? Can you observe how they play as kittens, perhaps see them develop their stalking instinct, and know they will grow up to be capable hunters? Is it along gender lines?
There are a dozen cats currently listed at the animal control headquarters in my area (=fairly large city with a lot of surrounding rural territory). Six males, six females. Two of the males were described as having stalking skills, one described as "smart" and the other as "athletic". But when it came to the women, one young kitten was listed as "sweet and playful" but that she had a very strong stalking instinct and an adult female was described as spending all of her time in the exercise yard on hunting and eating her prey. So out of this batch of a dozen cats, four had some hunting instincts but the two strongest hunters were female.
Anyway, what percentage of cats have legitimate hunting skills and at what point can you begin to see that part of their personality? I've seen some comments that outdoor mamacats make the fiercest hunters because of skill and motivation, and based on my limited observations I would tend to agree...but any comments?
For the experienced people, how can you predict if a cat will be a good hunter? Can you observe how they play as kittens, perhaps see them develop their stalking instinct, and know they will grow up to be capable hunters? Is it along gender lines?
There are a dozen cats currently listed at the animal control headquarters in my area (=fairly large city with a lot of surrounding rural territory). Six males, six females. Two of the males were described as having stalking skills, one described as "smart" and the other as "athletic". But when it came to the women, one young kitten was listed as "sweet and playful" but that she had a very strong stalking instinct and an adult female was described as spending all of her time in the exercise yard on hunting and eating her prey. So out of this batch of a dozen cats, four had some hunting instincts but the two strongest hunters were female.
Anyway, what percentage of cats have legitimate hunting skills and at what point can you begin to see that part of their personality? I've seen some comments that outdoor mamacats make the fiercest hunters because of skill and motivation, and based on my limited observations I would tend to agree...but any comments?