My cats play and torture roaches until they die. They are not purposely trying to kill them (at least, I don't think)...they just torture them until they die - then they leave them there. They won't eat them. Why? I thought it would be nice if they purposely kill the roach (my own pest control) - but it doesn't seem to want to kill it... it just plays with it...then leave its carcass there. I mean, maybe it eats some of it - I don't know...sometimes I find half a roach carcass. Why do they do this?
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Playing With Roaches
- Thread starter MyaLias
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I'm not a cat expert and am just basing it off my experiences with my two kittens.
Unless they've learned how to 'kill' prey from their mother, and need to eat prey, then they don't know how to do it. We used to live on a massive property and my kittens would find voles and carry them around in their mouth, so they could drop them and chase them around. They never tried to kill the voles (and usually I could rescue and free them), but sometimes the voles would die from being played to death before I noticed that they had one (they got crafty at bringing them in the house and hiding in the bathroom so I couldn't ruin their 'fun').
I much preferred them playing with their prey toys because I felt awful every time a vole died.
Unless they've learned how to 'kill' prey from their mother, and need to eat prey, then they don't know how to do it. We used to live on a massive property and my kittens would find voles and carry them around in their mouth, so they could drop them and chase them around. They never tried to kill the voles (and usually I could rescue and free them), but sometimes the voles would die from being played to death before I noticed that they had one (they got crafty at bringing them in the house and hiding in the bathroom so I couldn't ruin their 'fun').
I much preferred them playing with their prey toys because I felt awful every time a vole died.
I believe some "prey" simply tastes awful, so is used to sharpen hunting skills, but isn't eaten. We have a lot of shrews around here, which cats kill, but then just leave lying around.
It's a good thing your cats don't eat roaches, which theoretically may have been exposed to toxins in another building, a supermarket, etc..
It's a good thing your cats don't eat roaches, which theoretically may have been exposed to toxins in another building, a supermarket, etc..
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I don't want them playing with the roaches anyway (yes, I'm afraid of pesticides and stuff the roach might carry.). I found the best toy. It's these hexbots - they are tiny little robots that scurry around exactly like a roach - and they LOVE it. It entertains them for hours, then they finally realize they can't kill it, like they were able to kill the roach, and they get bored, so I turn off the toy, and give it to them later.
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My Kitty used to play with mosquitoes. Hed actually clap his paws together and squish them.
That would freak me out, I have a phobia regarding those crawly things. I find it hard even to say the name.
Most cats will hunt insects. likewise, most well fed cats hunt insects and mice for the experince, no out of hunger, so they often will play with their prey a bit ( or a lot), but if they ever were hungry or had reason, their prey would be dead in the space of three heartbeats (I saw a cat do it once... she was fed up with mice 9 farmhouse), and saw one, tensed, then jumped once, twice, three times in as many heartbeats, and dropped the mouse on the floor dead. That was my least athletic cat ever, and she was 14 at the time. That's what even the least of cats can do if they want to.
Also, cats don't really torture their prey, they just sometimes play catch and release for extra hunting time. That hunting instinct/practice is the motive, not intentional sadism.
Also, cats don't really torture their prey, they just sometimes play catch and release for extra hunting time. That hunting instinct/practice is the motive, not intentional sadism.
