Little Kittens Are Getting Ready For Their First Sneak Attack And It's Definitely Adorable

Some day they will be fearsome hunters…

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• September 26, 2020

Before a cat can be a cat, it's gotta start out being a kitten. Cats are graceful creatures who have a combination of agility, speed, and strength that makes them excellent hunters.

But, like all great creatures with athletic skills, cats have to practice their skills. Which brings us back to kittens.

Kittens are born with the capabilities and instinct, but they require some tuning. That's why cats start their training early., and when they do, they are just adorable.

Okay, kittens are always adorable but how else would you describe this fluffy little thing that can fit in the palm of your hand, trying to act like an adult cat and a seasoned hunter?

People love to share pictures of kittens in their first sneak attack attempts, and we have collected some of the cutest.

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Keep in mind that your cat isn't done playing even if it stops after several minutes. "They've just gone back to the first step in the prey sequence -- staring. So keep moving the wand toy and keep your cat engaged (even if it's just staring). You can give your kitty a short break or change lures to reengage them, but don't give up!

Play sessions will be more intense for younger cats, but even older kitties and special needs kitties love to play. Following a play session, give your cat a meal to initiate the hunt-eat-groom-sleep sequence, which is another thing that cats naturally do. You'll find your cat is more relaxed and content if you can stick to a routine schedule focused around play and meals."

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"They are highly flexible, which allows them to move low to the ground and through slim openings; they are also very quiet, making them even more difficult to detect. Cats demonstrate these instincts from a very early age - kittens will pounce on instincts, do the "butt wiggle" before they launch into an attack on a toy, or even silently stalk a littermate.

These moves can be considered practice for when they must hunt their food on their own. And, even cats who are fed amply by their human guardians will hunt as well - it's not just about finding a meal; cats are programmed to hunt even when their stomachs are full. Hunting (and playing) is fun, keeps cats from getting bored, provides physical and mental stimulation, and relieves stress."

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Dr. Koski added that cats don’t want to just sit around. "To be happy and healthy, they must get physical and mental exercise, which they get when they hunt and play.

Think about what an outdoor cat might do during her day: take a walk around her home range, kill and eat prey, groom, nap in the sun. Cats evolved to interact with their environment and we've asked (or demanded?) that they adapt to an indoor living environment mostly devoid of the elements that they evolved with.

In my opinion, boredom is one of the most frequent issues that can cause stress and behavior problems with cats, so ensuring that our cats have an enriched environment is incredibly important when it comes to the wellbeing of our kitties.

Give them opportunities to play and hunt! When cats hunt, they go through the prey sequence:

1) staring,

2) stalking and chasing,

3) pouncing and grabbing, and 4) performing a kill bite.

The only type of toy that can really satisfy all four steps of the prey sequence is an interactive wand toy - my favorite is "Da Bird" with various lures to keep the play session fun and exciting. Try to have 1-2 play sessions with your cat every day, lasting 10-15 minutes each."

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Natalie Cady Bishop, another cat behavior expert, said that it's essential for cat owners to get familiar with their pet's instincts so they can effectively provide for them. "Many owners think that all cats need is a litter box, food and water, which is false. Cats need plenty of mental and physical stimulation.

They need environmental resources in the form of perches and socially acceptable hiding places, as well as plenty of scratching devices. Many cats need two litter boxes (the general rule is to have the number of cats you have plus one) and for them to be in a common room of the house (not hidden in the garage, bathroom or closet)."

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Dr. Koski, a cat behavior expert, said that kittens training their ambush skills are not only an extremely cute topic, but it also shows how naturally predatory felines are. "Cats evolved to be highly stealthy because they are both predators (who often need to be able to get fairly close to their prey before attacking) and prey (who need to be able to move around in their environment without being preyed upon by a larger predator)," she explained.

In the beginning, cats were mostly kept for pest control purposes rather than companionship. They were basically on their own and had to hunt their food - just like their big cat cousins in the wild.

Without large quantities of food and prey, the natural selection kicked in, and only the most successful hunters survived and reproduced. Basically, the cats we keep now are descendants of those great hunter cats.

Damjan