Do house cats kill insects and birds?

House cats kill insects, birds, small mammals like mice, and anything else they can get their paws on. Domesticated cats still have the natural killing instinct. Felines are hunters. So are humans. We’re meat-eaters. The difference is, most humans don’t kill the cows, chickens, lambs, or pigs they eat themselves.

Do cats kill mice or just play with them?

Cats kill mice, birds, and insects. They chase them, play with them, and then kill them or leave them severely wounded without a chance to survive. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Do cats kill mice and birds on purpose?

Yes. They know what they’re doing. They always stop when it’s too late, so they must know when it’s too late for the smaller creature to survive. But they’re not doing it because they’re mean.

Why do cats kill mice and birds?

Cats wouldn’t have survived in the wild if they didn’t hunt. It’s just their natural instincts that control their behavior today. A cat sees a mouse, bird, or insects as prey, a toy, something to play with.

which cats kill mice, birds, and insects?

All cats are hunters! Including your domestic house cats. Domestic house cats kill mice and birds. Well-fed cats will hunt mice as well.

How many mice and birds do cats kill

According to USA today, both feral and domestic cats kill up to 3.7 billions birds a year, and 6.9 to 20.7 smaller mammals. Cats kill more mice and insects than birds because killing birds is difficult. Birds can fly. Mice and insects can’t.

Where I live, I see a mouse or rat once in several years. Feral cats had killed most of the mice and rats. Stray and house cats alike kill insects, but cockroaches multiply so fast, the cats can’t bring their numbers down.

Besides, cats like killing mice and birds better than insects. The bigger the prey, the better. Which is why my house cats kill flies but not mosquitoes. Although of course every cat is different as an individual. Also, cats probably prefer killing small mammals than insects. Mammals have more meat on their bones. And although my spoiled house cats have plenty of food, they consider killing mammals more fun, an evolutionary trait that had kept the feline species alive by making cats seek the best meal.

Personal experience

When my rescue cat Hazelnut was a kitten, she had leapt in through the window with a live winged cockroach in her mouth, sending me screaming and running for my life. I’m scared to death of these horrible creatures. They’re all over around here during summer nights. You can see dozens of them running around, and they get into houses sometimes.

My fat house cats had killed a bird and had left it between the wooden shutters and the glass shutters of my living room. It’s difficult to see through the glass shutters, and my sense of smell is lousy. When I finally found the bird my house cats had killed, there were worms crawling all over it and dried blood.

My cat Hazelnut likes to put her toy mouse inside her food bowl and eat around it, and my Amiga loves to chase grains of dry cats food around the room, slapping at them and sending them sliding on the floor, and then pouncing.

And it’s not just feral cats who kill birds and insects. I had a Persian cat slightly mixed with angora, who had killed a bird or two.

House cats kill snakes, too

My sister’s cat had dragged a live snake into her house and left it there, and she hasn’t found it ever since. But usually feral and house cats kill snakes and scorpions. Both feral and house cats kill rabbits and chickens as well, but there are none around where I live. No wildlife in this completely urban landscape.

Cats are natural hunters

Cats are built to hunt. They have a superior sense of smell and hearing. They can see at night. They have padded paws that enable them to sneak closer to their prey without being heard. They have amazing speed and teeth and nails as sharp as razor blades, and they’re excellent climbers. They’re also flexible and able to leap up and forward.

Cats have the psychological traits of a hunter

Cats have the patience to hide and wait quietly, staying very still. They don’t get bored. They enjoy the stalking, the hunt, the pouncing. And they have the intelligence required to hide, knowing the prey will run off if it sees them. Also, kittens are taught how to hunt by their mothers, so by the time they’re old enough to be independent, they’re already professionals.

Cats often bring their prey home, either because they want to leave it as a present for their beloved human, or because of an evolutionary trait that programs them to want to take their prey to a safe place where they won’t be bothered by other animals who’ll steal their meal.

Even house cats who aren’t allowed outside may kill mice that are unfortunate enough to get into the house, and house cats in fenced in yards can kill low-flying birds.

Cats aren’t mean creatures. It’s just in their genes to hunt. They need to satisfy their natural hunting instincts. I have cats toys all over the house.

This mouse squeaks like a real mouse when hit and contains catnip. It stimulates your cat’s natural instincts and provides entertainment and exercise in a safe indoor situation. To hear satisfied customers’ reviews and watch videos of cats going crazy over this toy, click here.