How do kittens learn to hunt mice? And can kittens learn to hunt on their own? How can you teach a kitten to hunt? How old are kittens when they start hunting? How do mother cats teach kittens to hunt? Have you ever asked yourself these questions?
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How do kittens learn to hunt mice and birds?
Kittens learn from their mother, who first waves her tail to encourage her kittens to try to catch it, and then brings them prey so they’ll learn to catch and kill it.
Can kittens learn to hunt on their own?
Kittens always learn to hunt on their own because it’s in their nature. Even motherless kittens raised by humans learn to hunt, but they may start a bit later than a kitten who was taught by its mother.
Can you teach a kitten to hunt?
You can teach a kitten to hunt by dragging a shoelace on the floor and having it chase it, or by buying mice toys and balls to swat and chase around the room, if you want your kitten to hunt cockroaches and flies. I don’t suggest letting a kitten kill mice, because a non-kill trap can get rid of rodents without killing them.
At what age do kittens learn to hunt?
When do kittens learn to hunt? Each kitten is different, but kittens usually get hyper and playful at around five weeks old, which includes chasing anything that moves, which is a first attempt at hunting.
Kittens may not have the experience older cats do, but they make up for it with their hyperactivity. The more playful a kitten is, the better they are at hunting.
Persian cats, for instance, are often lazy and not as skillful hunters as feral cats, but every cat is different as an individual.
Cats usually like a larger prey. Mine usually don’t bother too much with mosquitoes but follow flies and leap at them. This is also an evolutionary trait. In the wild, a larger prey meant more food.
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Tel-Aviv's feral cats 
We got our cat when 8 weeks old and he is a lovely mouse catcher. Unfortunately he brings them in to show us and plays with it, while half dead. Great for him, not so great for us. We do praise him and make a fuss as we want him to catch them indoors too ( which he did before as well.)
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There are hardly any mice or rats around here, because there are millions of feral cats around, and they’ve gotten rid of most of the rodents ages ago. But now they’re digging underground to built an intercity train, and every once in a while I see a mouse, usually dead by the time it’s seen.
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before he was brought in as a house cat; we saw boomer in the fields behind the house always chasing and hunting something, mice, bugs etc and right up to the end he never lost that “instinct”
he might not have had the speed, but he still alerted when something was inside that should have been out !!! 🙂
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A field cat, wild. I like that.
It’s nice to have fields. Wish we had them in my town, instead of nothing but buildings and roads and sidewalks. All cement and asphalt.
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Just said goodbye to our beloved rescue cat, this reminds me of her as a tiny abandoned kitten Thanks
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Thanks for the insight on kittens. I was completely clueless on how kittens learn to hunt. It always fascinates me to learn more and more about God’s animals and their purpose on this earth. By the way, the pics are adorable. God bless you and stay safe.
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I’m also fascinated by animals and how they act, how they perceive things, and how they communicate. Animals are God’s gift to us humans.
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Absolutely! Animals are God’s gift to humans. Animals are so intelligent and their instincts are incredible when it comes to spotting out good and bad people.
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You taught me something today! I didn’t realize Persian kitties were typically lazier. In one sense I’m not surprised, but it is interesting to read! 🙂 Thank you!
Watching kittens explore their great big new world is so much fun. Everything is so new and exciting, learning how to be alive as a cat. We’ve got about 10 or so feral kittens here now and they never cease to entertain us!
Our kitty loves chasing flies too. It’s adorable to hear the chatter and see the excitement, isn’t it?
Sending love and blessings to you and all the little ones in your life. 🤗
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Great having so many feral kittens around. The best part of the day for me is seeing feral cats in the street and petting dogs.
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I agree! They bring so much joy! ♥️
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