Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
Cats have shared our lives for thousands of years, and in that time, they’ve evolved from being great, silent hunters who stalk and kill their prey with startling efficiency, to, well.. .this:
Don’t get me wrong, athlete Cyril is not necessarily an accurate representation of all domestic cats, but you get the idea! However, when you compare the behavioral and morphological changes domestication has brought to our canine companions, as demonstrated by my Chihuahua, Ned and his German Malinois, Kodah, our feline friends have retained most to the instincts and characteristics of their ancestors.
And it is this fact that often makes it difficult for us, their human guardians, to decide how much of their natural ancestral behavior we should encourage.
I’ve talked before about using toys and laser pointers to tap into my cats’ hunting instincts and engage them in some cardio, which I think is an important part of giving them enrichment, exercise, and stimulating the mind, but is it enough? Should we encourage our cats to be cats, and let them hunt prey with impunity? I’m not sure, but I also think it’s a question open to different interpretations.
Is it Cruel to Ban Cats from Hunting?
In the late 1970s, the Farm Animal Welfare Council of Great Britain developed a set of rules that would become the foundation of almost all legislation regarding the keeping of captive animals, not just livestock. Those rules are better known as The Five Freedoms, and they are:
- Freedom from hunger and thirstthrough ready access to water and a diet to maintain health and vitality.
- Freedom from discomfortby providing a suitable environment.
- Freedom from illness, injury and diseasethrough prevention or prompt diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to express normal behaviorby providing adequate space, proper facilities and appropriate company of one’s own species.
- Freedom from fear and anxietyby ensuring conditions and treatments, which avoid mental suffering.
Recently, they have been re-examined with the aim of expanding these basic provisions to not only prevent negative experiences, but to provide animals with A Life Worth Living. Now, I think it’s fair to say that my cats have a life worth living; one that I myself would be quite happy with, and the same can be said for most cats that live in human families. I can also confidently say that most domestic cats enjoy lives consistent with at least four of the five freedoms. Where things are a little less clear, however, is when we look at the 4th rule: Freedom to express normal behavior. Does that mean we? must let our cats roam free and hunt? Although some would argue yes, I don’t think it’s that simple.
I live in the UK, where keeping cats indoors is largely frowned upon, although this is starting to change. When I lived in Australia, the rules regarding cat ownership became stricter, with the introduction of mandatory microchipping and registration of pet cats, as well as the imposition of curfews. You see, unlike the UK, where cats have been part of the landscape for over a millennium, Australia had no feline predators until they were introduced by European colonists in the early 19th century. that century. Since their introduction, a population of 3-4 million feral cats has emerged, responsible for killing six million native animals. every day, and threatens over 100 million species with extinction. In this situation, limiting the outdoor access and hunting of cats is undoubtedly necessary. But what about parts of the world like the UK or the US, where cats, in one form or another, are better tolerated within the ecosystem?
In my humble opinion, keeping cats indoors is part of being a responsible owner. In most cases, we live with our cats in areas where there are a lot of people, dogs, and cars. There are potentially lethal dangers such as predators, toxins, parasites, and viruses, and cat population densities are greater than naturally occurring, so making welfare judgments for our domesticated animals based on their wild origins begin to seem irrelevant.
If we look at it more objectively, taking into account the five freedoms, I would say that the life of a completely indoor cat is one:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease
- Free from fear and anxiety
And when we are able to provide our inner cats with that environment
- are enriched with games and interactive toys,
- allowing them to explore the vertical world through cat trees and shelves,
- challenging them by providing their food in interesting ways,
- is full of attention, love, and affection,
I believe that we simply do not allow them freedom to express normal behavior, we also make sure that we give them a life worth living.
Is Allowing or Encouraging Cats to Hunt Cruel?
Cruelty is largely a human invention. In the animal kingdom, instances are rare where one animal causes pain or suffering to another simply for sport or pleasure; hunting is a matter of survival. But is this still happening to our pets?
Our pets still have that instinct drive – the wild instinct that can turn even the most refined fluffball into a killing machine – which is why some people believe we should allow them to do what comes naturally – hunt. The way I look at it is that we can’t treat our cats as pets one minute, wild animals the next. Either we commit to their domestication, or we set them all free to whatever fate nature has in store for them (and I’m sure you know which is in my favor!).
Cats can retain their hunting instincts, but most of them don’t needed to hunt, and some of them seem unsure of what to do with their prey once they have caught it. The first time I ever heard Alex engage in his ‘hunting chatter’ was when he saw my wife eating a hotdog! Why do they go through the process of chewing on skin and fur when there’s a bowl of soft chunks at home? So we can end up with a cat that hunts and eats food it doesn’t need, with the risk of getting various diseases in the process, or one that gets prey to kill or play with. I’m not suggesting these cats are cruel, they’re just following an instinct they don’t need.
But I wonder if knowingly allowing our cats to chase and kill wild animals when they don’t have to, is irresponsible, if not cruel.
Gives Our Cats the Thrill of the Hunt
I think it’s important to remember where our cats came from, and that they still have many of the urges and instincts of their wild counterparts, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the fact that they is not it’s wild. Part of being responsible for the animals in our lives is keeping them safe, and because allowing your cat to hunt comes with the added risks of roads, predators, parasites, infections, and conflict with other cats, I think providing them with alternative ways to flex their predatory muscles is a safer way to ensure their needs are met.
And let’s face it, if my stuffed cats don’t have a life worth living, I don’t know who does!
