I wonder if breeding long enough can create a cat that doesn’t hunt mice and the like?
Asker: Mary, 23 years old
Answer
Dear Mary,
no, this is not possible. In fact, this is also not desirable. A cat is a very intelligent predator that spends at least 6 hours a day hunting (the feral cats). The hunting itself is part of the cat’s being. It wouldn’t be the same species if they didn’t evolve as predators. A cat that cannot hunt, for example because she is kept indoors and the owner does not offer alternatives to ‘real’ hunting, develops behavioral problems.
Would you like to know more about cats? Be sure to check out www.felinewelfarefoundation.org
Answered by
Els Peeters
Biology: cat behavior
University of Antwerp
Prinsstraat 13 2000 Antwerp
http://www.uantwerpen.be
Prinsstraat 13 2000 Antwerp
http://www.uantwerpen.be
.