Witnessed a neighbor's cat in full predation

[UTUSN]

Am basically a dog type, never have possessed or been possessed by a cat, but I can appreciate most living beings - tolerating the wasp that stung me, spiders, reptiles, insects so long as they stay away.

So the neighbors have both dogs and cats, the latter of which patrol our whole corner of the neighborhood. My little dog puts on a show of chasing them out of our yard but is skeered of them and keeps the distance even to the point of running back to the door.

These are a couple of exceedingly tame cats who seem to prefer lounging over here under the bushes and staring down my dog, sometimes waving their tail if he gets too close.

***But to the point. This cat in my front yard today - lithe as can be - had its nose and paws down to the ground, pin/pawing something, shifting to better grasping positions. It was a bit concerning because there are jumping/leaping spiders out there, and the nose was in potential harm's way (my imagining).

But in less than a minute the whole safari was over and the cat - totally matter-of-factly - had the target in its mouth and turned around and headed home with whatever-it-was dangling its small lower half in the mouth. Possibly a small lizard. Amazing for the cat to have found the thing in the first place and then so cleanly and pinpointedly carried off the whole thing.

Graceful, lithe, gone. Then about half an hour later the cat crossed back across the yard to the gate, with a leisurely gait, nonchalantly like another-day's-work, on to the next yard across the street.

[RockRaven]

1. There's a train of thought which says that house cats weren't really ever domesticated

the way that dogs or cattle or etc were -- those involved significant genetic and behavioral changes between the wild species (wolves and aurochs). The quip goes something like: cats just moved in with humans but basically stayed the same.

In reality, there is a genetic divergence from African wildcats, but on the other hand there is also evidence of inter breeding between the domesticated cats and the wild population after the initial divergence. Plus cats can pretty much survive in the wild still, if they must.

They tamed us at least as much as we tamed them., if not more.

[UTUSN]

2. Perhaps my word "tame" goes too far. I have near zero contact. But have seen much

dependent socialization from them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. My current cat, adopted last summer,

had been a stray who was brought to the shelter where I found her. It was clear to me early on that she had loved her life on the lam, and preferred to be on her own. Well, I took her home from the shelter, kept her inside for most of the first year, and can report that she's a wonderful mostly indoor but partly outdoor cat. Typically in the afternoon I go outside with her in my back yard. She wanders around for a while, and sometimes escapes to the neighbor's back yard next to me. I've learned that she shows up in my front yard about 45 minutes later.

She loves being outside. Not sure what I'll do as it gets colder, but I will somehow work it out.

Aren't our four legged furry friends wonderful?

[tblue37]

13. One of my cats was an 18-month to 2-year-old feral when I captured and adopted him. He's a

loving indoor cat now, but likes to hang out in the front yard for an hour or so each day, weather permitting.

[KT2000]

4. I took in a female stray cat

I came to call the working girl. Before she arrived, three of us neighbor had serious mouse problems - getting in the house, getting in the car engines, staring down my neighbor in her living room! The first day I let her in, she brought into the house 3 dead things as a gift. She took care of the mice in the 3 houses and even the moles in those yards. She would sit over a mole hill for hours because she could hear them underground. She kept the house free of visible insects too. She left the house first thing in the morning and would come back in at about 8 PM - every day. She was amazing to watch because she was really serious about her work.

One of my current cats catches mice in a neighbor's yard and brings it to my yard to let it go. Oh well.

[wnylib]

7. I think the value of that

hunting skill is one reason why cats have not changed much as domesticated pets and retain some of their wildness. We have valued their talent for killing off rodents and insects. Therefore, we have not discouraged that behavior in domestic cats and have not selectively bred it out of them.

Their domesticity consists mainly in not attacking US as their prey, except when playing. And that's the way we want it - cats that hunt pests but like to cuddle with us.

[LudwigPastorius]

5. The cat just says, "It's what I do".

[zanana1]

9. I really enjoyed that.

I'll have to "Spotify" Donald Fagen.

[IbogaProject]

6. Cats should not be allowed to murder

[link:|]

[link:https://theoatmeal.com/comics/cats_actually_kill|]

[wnylib]

8. Farmers will still keep outdoor cats

in their barns. Some manufacturers, storekeepers, and restaurants will still keep cats on the premises to keep the rodent and insect population down.

The only reason why I would not get another cat if mine passes away is because of my age - too old to raise and keep another one. I keep her indoors for HER sake, to keep her from picking up diseases, getting injured by cars or by cat haters, or getting caught on a trap.

Yes, cats kill. They are part of the animal kingdom's food chain. They prey on certain animals and become the prey of other animals. Birds prey on worms, insects, seeds, and mammals. Darwin illustrated how valuable worms are for plant growth by keeping soil turned and aerated. Maybe we should restrain birds for eating up worms and seeds. Not to mention the larger predatory birds like hawks that kill squirrels.

[tblue37]

14. I'm 71, so when my senior cats are gone, I would replace them with senior cats, if I am

not too close to gone myself.

[wnylib]

15. I'm also 71. I considered getting a senior

cat if something happens to mine, but I would be concerned about an older cat that has already had to adjust to a move late in its life having to adjust to another one if something happened to me. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine home without one.

[csziggy]

16. There are always a few senior cats at our local Humane Society

That need homes. They give some pictures and a description of the cat's personality plus you can go meet them. Many of the older cats are adjusted to being an only cat so it makes it harder for them to be adopted.

I think it would be wonderful to adopt a senior cat that really needs a new home.

When I adopted out three last year, I considered getting senior cats but I'm hoping that my husband and I have at least another 15-20 years in us. At 69, I can hope especially considering the ages our parents died.

If we outlive these three cats, I will strongly consider adopting senior cats. As you say, it's hard to imagine home without one.

[wnylib]

17. I wish that I could get more than one,

but I live in an apartment building that only allows one 4 footed pet.

[csziggy]

18. Yeah, but a lot of the senior cats are happier in a one cat household

So that might be perfect for you. Think about it!

[wnylib]

19. Well, I have one now and she is only 6 years old,

so I hope I don't need to think about it for some years.

[csziggy]

24. Oh, she will be around for a long time!

Scritch your kitty for me.

[zanana1]

10. Anti-kitty propaganda!

My cat is indoor only and if anything should happen to him, you can bet I'll go to the animal shelter and get another one. I've never been catless. Because of my age, I'd get a senior cat. Too many of them linger in shelter cages.

[IbogaProject]

12. There have been multiple extinctions

There have been multiple extinctions from well fed house cats going outside to hunt for "pleasure". We have two indoor cats. The issue is breading cats and cats allowed to roam and hunt.

[zanana1]

23. I know.

That's why my cat is indoor only.

[IbogaProject]

25. so are ours

I love cats, just facing the reality that they shouldn't roam out side, and the strays need to be neutered to lower the feline population without exterminating the existing ones.

[Ocelot II]

11. Haters gonna hate. My cat stays indoors for her own safety,

and she can't be replaced, but when she passes I will definitely get another cat, more likely two of them.

[Demovictory9]

22. ,,

[Demovictory9]

21. that's so mean.. "when it dies do not replace it"

[Demovictory9]

20. cats have a 25% success rate on the pounce. i read somewhere

pretty darn good success rate

[Ocelot II]

26. I was just watching the cat who lives on my porch stalking something -

and I was marveling at how good at it he is - a beautiful, magnificent little animal doing brilliantly what nature evolved him to do. He's "my" cat only in the sense that his base of operations is my porch and I feed him, but I can't pet him or touch him (yet). I hope to be able to catch him somehow and get him neutered and maybe tamed enough to be a house cat, but for now he lives outside, and despite the fact that I feed him quite generously, he does seem to want to hunt because that's what cats do. I think his primary prey is mice, attracted to the seeds that fall from the bird feeders, and that's fine with me.

[Totally Tunsie]

27. I learn something new everyday thanks to DU.

Today it was the word "predation'.

Thanks!

[UTUSN]

28. HAH!1 Well, you're welcome, although I don't even now whether it's a word and I've been

accused here at safe-space-DU of being "comprehension-impaired," illiterate, a wingnut who spouts "right wing talking points," posting things that don't make sense, and many similar things.

Did I mention "thanks"?

[Totally Tunsie]

29. It's definitely a word...

predation - noun
pre·​da·​tion | pri-ˈdā-shən

Definition of predation
1: the killing by one living organism of another for food
2.: the act of injuring, exploiting, or plundering others for personal gain

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predation

I've heard of "predatory" as an adjective, but have never seen "predation" (noun). You're quite literate in this case!

[UTUSN]

30. "in this case" - Hah, I'll *take* it!1