Why does my cat meow a lot after she catches a prey?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of a cat that meows excessively after catching prey, exploring potential reasons for this behavior. Participants consider various theories related to feline communication, social dynamics, and instinctual behaviors, with a focus on both domestic and wild cat behaviors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the cat may be seeking praise for its kill, suggesting a desire for recognition from its owners.
  • Another participant proposes that the cat might want to share its food with its owners, drawing parallels between the behavior of wild cats and their interactions with kittens.
  • A later reply expands on the idea of cats treating their owners similarly to how they treat their kittens, discussing the teaching behaviors of mother cats.
  • Some participants humorously suggest that the cat's behavior could be a form of blackmail, implying that the cat is trying to intimidate its owners into providing better food.
  • There is a playful exchange about the idea of joining in on the cat's "treat," with some participants joking about developing a taste for the prey the cat brings home.
  • One participant questions whether the cat's meowing could simply be a request for water, contrasting this with the more elaborate theories about sharing food.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the reasons behind the cat's behavior, with no consensus reached on a single explanation. The discussion remains open-ended, with various hypotheses being explored.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about feline behavior and social structures are discussed, but these remain unresolved and depend on interpretations of domestic versus wild cat dynamics.

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I've a white cat. She is semi-domesticated, i.e she spends half of her time inside our house and half of her time roaming outside.She visits our apartment on the 5th floor of the building. Whenever she catches a prey be it a rat or a pigeon , she has a tendency to meow a lot in front of us. She meows a lot more than usual ,after she has caught a prey. Is this behavior common in cats. And does anybody know ,whether there is a reason behind it.
She also tosses the dead body of her prey around and seems to be playing with it before getting down to eat it.


Here's an image , perhaps that could help find an answer to my query. :biggrin:

attachment.php?attachmentid=40756&stc=1&d=1320697124.jpg
 

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What a cutie! She may just want to be praised for the kill.
 
Evo said:
What a cutie! She may just want to be praised for the kill.

Or is it because she wants to share food with us ? Give-and-take, maybe ? We give her cat-food ,so on occasion , when she brings home food, she maybe wanting us to have a bite or two.
How do cats view their owners is a question that props up in my mind. Cats in the wild are solitary animals. So question of sharing food with other cats is out of the question. But cats do share food with their dependent kittens. So do the cats view their owners in ways similar to how they view their kittens ? Or am I being just too optimistic about getting to share kill with the cat. Maybe, all she wants is praise as you pointed out.
 
Khichdi lover said:
Or is it because she wants to share food with us ? Give-and-take, maybe ? We give her cat-food ,so on occasion , when she brings home food, she maybe wanting us to have a bite or two.
How do cats view their owners is a question that props up in my mind. Cats in the wild are solitary animals. So question of sharing food with other cats is out of the question. But cats do share food with their dependent kittens. So do the cats view their owners in ways similar to how they view their kittens ? Or am I being just too optimistic about getting to share kill with the cat. Maybe, all she wants is praise as you pointed out.
You are correct, they do treat owners like kittens.

The mother cat teaches her kittens to kill to eat. Her first lesson consists of bringing home dead prey and consuming it in front of the kittens. Soon they learn to join in. At the end of this stage, she brings the dead prey home and leaves it for the kittens to eat on their own. Cats will not only do this for their own litter, but for another cat's kittens as well. Many cats (especially spayed females) will provide this lesson to their human owners. Thus, bringing home dead prey and dropping it at our feet.

http://www.perfectpaws.com/help3.html
 
Haha, you're supposed to join in with the treat! :biggrin:
 
Monique said:
Haha, you're supposed to join in with the treat! :biggrin:
 
Evo said:

Wow, thanks for fishing out this piece of info. I was looking for something like this.
Now I will try and develop a taste for pigeons , rats and not to mention http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_House_Gecko" .


:rolleyes:
 
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Water.
 
You mean, she wants water?
Don't you think the other explanation is more fascinating than this ,i.e that she wants us to share food with her?
 
  • #10
Well, this question can be answered after your kitten's next prey. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
The cat wants to blackmail you. So what it does is it kills an animal and bring it to their owners to scare them. The cat is actually saying: "watch out, hooman, or this will happen to you! Now give me decent food."
 
  • #12
To reinforce my previous post:

Evo said:
I love this.

As seen in a dog's diary:

7 am - Oh boy! A walk! My favorite!

8 am- Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!

9 am- Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!

Noon- Oh boy! The yard! My favorite!

2 pm- Oh boy! A car ride! My favorite!

3 pm- Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!

4 pm- Oh boy! Playing ball! My favorite!

6 pm- Oh boy! Welcome home Mom! My favorite!

7 pm- Oh boy! Welcome home Dad! My favorite!

8 pm- Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!

9 pm- Oh boy! Tummy rubs on the couch! My favorite!

11 pm- Oh boy! Sleeping in my people's bed! My favorite!


As seen in a cat's diary:


Day 183 of my captivity...

My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The
only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild
satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another
house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their
feet While they were walking almost succeeded - must try this at the top of
the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I
once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair - must try this
on their bed.

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt To
make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear in their
hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I
was. - Hmmm, not working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in
solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell
the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my
powers of inducing "allergies."- Must learn what this is and how to use it
to my advantage.

I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog
is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously
a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant and
speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to
his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured.

But I can wait - it is only a matter of time.
 
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