A mama cat teaches her babies pretty much everything, especially when the kittens are born outside to a mama who is a stray cat. But I have to think that a cat is either a hunter or it's not. My Ernie was not born to a stray cat. He came to the shelter as a kitten. But he was one of the best hunters I've ever seen. In one summer, he annihilated most of the mouse/mole/other rodent population in our yard and probably everyone elses. Unfortunately, he also liked baby rabbits, but I put an immediate stop to that. Ernie would bring me his kills or leave them where he knew I'd find them. I think that means a cat has to have a reason to hunt and kill. To be blunt, if your cat isn't particularly attached to you, he's not going to bring you "presents". Now, things are different for stray, barn or outdoor kitties. Unless they're fed regularly, the HAVE to learn to hunt to live. But I still think that either a cat is a hunter or it isn't.

Izadore (Izzie) answered on 2/20/11. Helpful? / 0

Former cats of mine, a brother and sister, came to live with me when they were two months old. The day I went to pick them up, they had just learned from Momcat how to hunt and kill cicadas. They never got to the mouse lesson. I had a pet rat that they were terrified of. It's said that females are better at hunting than males (they have to feed their babies, after all), but it obviously depends on the cat and his/her need for food or enjoyment of hunting itself. Lowell, an 18 pound Maine Coon male, goes crazy over any toy, and would probably be a fantastic barn cat. Anyway, you seem to have a problem with rats. Use traps, not poison. If your kitty eats the poison by mistake, he will probably die. Eating a poisoned rat is also often fatal. Good luck.

Lowell answered on 2/20/11. Helpful? / 1