The instinct is not stopped or removed, that is fairly impossible, rather the instinct can be controlled through training.
The cats I deal with are well socalized [domesticated if you will], they are used to being around people, and are also well understood by those responsible for their care. We do educational programs with all three cougars, and occassionally the leopard. Generally during the presentations the kids are pretty much stationary, however when time, and more importantly the animal, allows closer interaction is permitted [only with the cougars though due to state law].
We have never in over 10 years of doing this, had any issues with the predatory instincts of these animals and children. This isn't because the animal lacks the instinct, but rather because we have such a close relationship with the animal and have worked with the animal to train them to control it.
Ultimately all you are training the animal to do is to trust you over their instincts, but it is also understood that the instinct still remains, and if stimulated enough, instinct will win. So actively monitoring the situation and controlling stimulation is necessary.
Once you get to know the animal, and you develop a trusting bond between each other, you learn to understand what stimulates the animal, and how to control the level of stimulation. Generally the simplest and most effective method is distraction, if you see the animal focusing on a particular thing, you do what it takes to prevent overstimulation. Which can range anywhere from a simple scratch behind the ear, to removing the item that is overstimulating the animal, or even removing the animal from the situation to a more comfortable location.
Not so horrible a training error with the smaller cats, however [with all due respect] an error nonetheless. It is ever so rare that training an animal that attacking[even if only playfully] our body is accecptable behavior. The instinct to play should not be suppressed or punished, but rather redirected to appropriate objects. Toys are great devices, and the correction rarely has to escalate beyond simple verbal correction.
You can never remove instinct from an animal. However you can train an animal to control an instinct. You have to house train a dog, just as you have to potty train a child, the instinct is to just go to the bathroom, however with training the dog and the child learn to control their instincts. In this example, a cats natural instinct is beneficial. The instinct to bite is inherent in all of these species, dogs and cats use their mouths for many more functions than humans do normally, but you still have to teach kids that the instinct to bite is generally a bad thing. You can teach a dog not to bite, you can teach a kid not to bite, and you can teach a cat not to bite. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other, but nevertheless it can still be done. The larger cats that I work with all understand the concept "No Bite". It's a simple concept, and just as simple to teach/reinforce, all it takes is consistency.
In regards to the dog, I was thinking more along the lines of an animal that had either little to no exposure to humans. Indeed the example is rough, and greatly generalized, the bottom line though is that is strongly depends on the tempermant of both the animal and the person. Despite the flaws, I still hope that the general concept was conveyed.
There is a difference between instinct and training, instinct is an urge that comes naturally while training is a means of controlling that urge. Instincts can be controlled, but they can never be removed. Training is the key to success with animals [and even children]. With proper training, and a responsible owner, pretty much any animal can be purrfectly safe.
Spotz
