Hunting - she's doing it wrong

[ecat]

My cat Mavis regularly sits and stares at geckos (small lizards) on our windows and ceiling meowing. Not a very good hunting technique! She doesn't usually try to catch them. She just stares and talks to them.

Or is she trying to develop inter-species communication? Does anyone else's cat do this?

Sometimes I think she is a little daft. She's a rescue cat, but she is purebred (Himalayan). I'm fairly sure she is actually reasonably inbred.

[Marcia]

If she is well fed she may have no interest in hunting for food. She may be more interested in the visuals.

[ecat]

Marcia I certainly like to think she is well fed. I suspect in this case it must be catovision .

[GSRit01]

I've had a cat that just looked at them, wasn't interested in catching them. Then I've had one that meowed like crazt and jumped and tried to get it. I think some cats are just more chilled and don't really fuss about it.

Perhaps you should count yourself lucky that you dont have to clean up the aftermath!

[Arianwen]

I've known down right fat cats who are still hunters so I don't think it's totally down to how well fed they are. One of the farm cats is quite rotund these days and still a world class mouser and ratter.

[yingying]

Persians/Himmies/Exotics really aren't the smartest cats. Their score in intelligence is pretty low according to Animal Planet, which, as a once-two-Persian-owner, I have to agree. However, different cats have their own quirks. So maybe your kitty doesn't want to hunt at all, maybe she just want to find someone to talk with

One of my Persian also "talk" in a very weird sound to sparrows that occasionally land on our balcony, though I guess it's just the way he "cries" when he know the bird is out of reach... The other Persian is a total narcissist. He doesn't care about anyone, be it bird, hamster, lizard, or insects

[3furbabies]

I also say it depends on the cat. Mine are all well fed.... Both my DSH cats re hunters, one more so. Anytime there is any prey type thing, inside or out they try to get it. My ragdoll has 0 hunting instincts. There could be a mouse/bug right in front of her nose and she will just look at it . Lol


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[dt8thd]

Originally Posted by yingying

One of my Persian also "talk" in a very weird sound to sparrows that occasionally land on our balcony, though I guess it's just the way he "cries" when he know the bird is out of reach.

Is the birdwatching noise a rapid-fire chattering sound? Three of my cats do this when bird or chipmunk watching. I think it's actually a pretty common behaviour, since I've known other people whose cats also did this. Interestingly enough, cats only seem to make the noise when they're physically unable to get at the prey. My Cosette is an incredible stealth mouser, and she'll crouch silently up in the basement rafters for hours on high alert, waiting for a mouse to run across one of the beams. Yet, she's a regular chatterbox when she's watching critters through the window.

[yingying]

Originally Posted by dt8thd

Is the birdwatching noise a rapid-fire chattering sound?

No. It's hard to describe, but if I have to, I will say it's a mix of toddler wail (you know, the ones that makes you wish you were deaf) and wolf howl.

Now try to imagine that. I know you can't. Because I couldn't, until I actually heard it

[dt8thd]

Originally Posted by yingying

No. It's hard to describe, but if I have to, I will say it's a mix of toddler wail (you know, the ones that makes you wish you were deaf) and wolf howl.

Now try to imagine that. I know you can't. Because I couldn't, until I actually heard it

You're right, I can't imagine that, but it sounds pretty funny!