Changes

'''Stalking behaviour''' uses the cover of plants and bushes to move closer to prey, such as birds, that are more mobile and not tied to a burrow or shelter location. Cats will also predate young birds in the nest, dig moles out of their burrows and ambush young rabbits as they leave their burrows. However, the rate of predation of larger species, such as rabbits and squirrels, is low in domesticated pet cats compared with the rate of predation of rodents and birds.

'''Stalking behaviour''' uses the cover of plants and bushes to move closer to prey, such as birds, that are more mobile and not tied to a burrow or shelter location. Cats will also predate young birds in the nest, dig moles out of their burrows and ambush young rabbits as they leave their burrows. However, the rate of predation of larger species, such as rabbits and squirrels, is low in domesticated pet cats compared with the rate of predation of rodents and birds.

==Feeding and Elimination==

==Feeding preferences==

 

 

Cats are obligate carnivores, and exhibit a '''preference for prey that is different from what they have eaten in the past'''. This is termed a “monotony effect” and is argued to be a way of ensuring and balanced diet <ref name="Bradshaw">Bradshaw, J.W.S (1992) The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat. CABI, Oxford, UK.</ref>. Since cats cat hunt independently and catch only small prey that provide a single meal for an individual, they '''do not share food'''. Feeding is a solitary activity that carries '''no social meaning'''. Cats eat 10-20 small meals each day, according to the availability of prey.

Cats are obligate carnivores, and exhibit a '''preference for prey that is different from what they have eaten in the past'''. This is termed a “monotony effect” and is argued to be a way of ensuring and balanced diet <ref name="Bradshaw">Bradshaw, J.W.S (1992) The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat. CABI, Oxford, UK.</ref>. Since cats cat hunt independently and catch only small prey that provide a single meal for an individual, they '''do not share food'''. Feeding is a solitary activity that carries '''no social meaning'''. Cats eat 10-20 small meals each day, according to the availability of prey.

The [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|core territory]] of domestic cats contains an incompatible arrangement of resources that would not be present in a wild situation. For example, in a study by <font color = "red">Bowen (xxxx)</font color>, in 31% of households provided a food bowl near to the litter tray, and the same percentage located a water bowl near the litter tray. From the cat’s perspective, having a latrine location inside the core territory is undesirable. Twenty-seven percent of households placed the litter tray next to the cat door, which might seem an ethologically appropriate choice given that this is the closest possible indoor location to the garden. However, it also means that in multi-cat households, of homes with a plain cat door, the latrine lacks privacy.

 

Feral and wild cats use '''latrine sites that are located in their [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Home Range|home range]]''', but not their [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|core territory]]. Latrine locations are chosen on the basis of location and substrate preference, both of which are learned during development. Latrine locations are '''away from hunting and feeding areas''', but close enough to those places for the cat to be able to use them without a significant interruption of their other hunting and [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Territory Defense|territory marking]] routines.

In the same study, one third of cat owners fed their cats at specific mealtimes, and 65% indicated that food was not available for the cat all day. This forces cats into close proximity with each other for an activity that is usually solitary. The cat is forced to consume as much food as it can during the periods of food availability.

==The Impact of Predation==

==The Impact of Predation==