L Sternn
Actually, most cats have to be shown how to kill. Some do learn by accident. Most cats will play with rodents, but most do not actually kill them.
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And it isn't about whether they need to or not. Chase was adopted as a kitten, but was outside before we got him. Both parents were barn cats. He has been indoor only since then. But he knows where to go up into the ceiling to find a nest of rats. And several times a year, he brings out the babies, one a night. He does like to play with them, so sometimes they are still alive, but he does kill them if given enough time. And he will eat them. One time, I found just the head. My other cats will play with one and show interest, but they don't hunt as seriously, nor do they actually know what to do with one if they get it.
We have had many cats over the years and two have chosen to hunt, kill, and sometimes eat their prey. And these are indoor only cats. They certainly had no need to hunt, and haven't since they were kittens. They simply had more drive to do so.
Just as some breeds of dogs are known for high prey drive while others are not. My neighbor used to have a husky, and while that dog was well fed and had no need to hunt, he would go after anything that moved. She made a point of checking her yard for cats and squirrels before letting her dog out in her own yard. And once while on a leash, the dog saw a cat before she did. She was injured in her struggle to get her dog off that cat. She loved her dog, but she said she would never get another one. It was too much stress worrying about the other animals.
I would think that barn cats would naturally be better hunters simply because the instinct has to be strong to survive, so they pbutt it along. But even so, they would need to be shown. Maynard was half barncat, and he never end anything. Chase them, yes. It was kinda funny last year when Chase brought in a live one and released it on my bed. Normally, I would not think that funny at all. but Maynard (at age 18) jumped up in excitement and almost got it. You could see the look on his face (ooh! live toy). He was like a kitten again.
All that said, I don't know why anybody would want to teach their cat to hunt if it is an indoor cat. I certainly wouldn't buy rodents just to use them as bait. That seems cruel.
