Big cats like lions and tigers are apex predators, which mean they are the top of the food chain and no animals prey on them. According to RangerPlanet.com, Lions can prey on large animals, like Antelopes, Giraffes, Wildebeast and Zebras. Even Crocodiles can be a meal for a hungry lion! And, although your fluffy best friend at home is probably a little too small to be taking on a Wildebeast, domestic cats are predators and share a lot of the characteristics that make the big cats such successful hunters! Lets look at some of the adaptations that make cats such powerful predators.
Cats have a strong sense of hearing, which allows them to triangulate on their prey, plus strong vision, even in low light. Even their whiskers get in on the act by helping them sense vibrations of animals moving around them. All of these things help a cat find their prey. For domestic cats prey animals tend to be smaller than for lions, like mice and birds.
Once prey has been located, cats have even more adaptations to help them stalk their prey, like pads on the bottom of their feet that allow them to walk silently. Catloverhub.com also mentions a cats sharp reflexes and flexible bodies, which let them twist and react with lightning speed!
Once a cat catches it's prey, it's sharp teeth and claws come into play, helping them to grab and hold their prey for a killing bite!
All those characteristics make cats killing machines! Even domestic cats who don't have to rely on hunting for their daily diet have that killer instinct!
So, domestic cats are predators, but, unlike big cats, they are not apex predators, which means there are animals that are predators of house cats. Seniorcatwellness.com lists animals that prey on cats, like wolves and coyotes, eagles, owls, large snakes like pythons, and even big cats like mountain lions. Pangovet.com says that most coyotes still rely on hunting, usually rabbits and rodents, but they are opportunistic hunters and in urban environments, cats can make up more of their diet. They even cite a study from Arizona by Grubbs and Krausman where they watched 45 coyote feedings and in 42% of of those cases coyotes were seen to be eating cats!
Even animals that aren't predators of cats can do some damage, like foxes, rats, racoons, and porcupines. These animals wouldn't be hunting cats for a meal, but will defend themselves in a run-in with a house cat.
So, domestic cats: predators and prey! Even though they are highly skilled predators in their own right, there are predators of domestic cats, so the hunters can become the hunted!
Thanks for our cover photo to Dan Dennis on Unsplash
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