Can You Train a Cat Not to Hunt?

Posted by Jennifer Copley Aug 11, 2009

There are a number of reasons why people want to prevent their cats from hunting, including:

• Not wanting to see small animals hurt or killed
• Environmental concerns regarding endangered local bird populations
• Desire to avoid conflicts with neighbours due to cats attacking pet birds or wild birds at neighbours’ feeders
• Distaste at having to deal with dead animals brought in as gifts

Unfortunately, cats can’t be taught not to hunt. Hunting is a natural behaviour, and attempting to train a cat not to hunt is an exercise in futility. However, hunting urges can be channelled into hunting simulation play, and there are a number of ways to prevent cats from catching birds and other small animals while still enabling them to engage in hunting activities.

Keeping cats indoors prevents the killing of small animals, as well as protecting the cat from a variety of deadly hazards, but many owners are concerned that keeping cats indoors will prevent them from living natural lives. Fortunately, many animal researchers have come to believe that cats can be happy indoors as long as they’re provided with an enriched environment.

Enriched environments include features that facilitate the same types of activities as natural environments, such as feline-friendly toys, cat trees, and good scratching surfaces.

For those who want to provide the best of both worlds for their cats – indoor safety and outdoor excursions – leash training and purchasing or building cat fences or enclosures to create safe outdoor spaces are good options.