Why are cats surplus killers?

According to zoologist Hans Kruuk, surplus killings have clear advantages: they provide a predator with excess carcasses that it can later eat or share with other members of its social group, or, at the very least, they provide valuable experience to the predator that it may use in later hunts.

What are surplus killers?

Surplus killing, also known as excessive killing, killing for sport, henhouse syndrome, or overkill, is a common behavior exhibited by predators, in which they kill more prey than they can immediately eat and then they either cache or abandon the remainder.

Are cats killers?

He calculates that cats can have four-to-10 times the impact of a wild predator. Native predators, like jungle cats, also kill a lot of small animals, but their impact is spread out over a larger area. One study estimates that house cats, both domestic and feral, kill billions of birds every year.

Why are cats so ruthless?

Cats have a reputation for cruelty for one reason in particular: they have a tendency to play with mice and other prey until the victims are totally overcome with fear. “Cats are opportunistic hunters and must be ready to stalk and catch any prey they discover by chance — even if they’re not hungry,” Turner explains.

What are some examples of surplus killing animals?

Honey badgers, bears, dogs, orcas and other animals also engage in surplus killing. But feral cats are the primary surplus killers in urban environments, while rats are a common urban scavenger.

What is sursurplus killing?

Surplus killing, also known as excessive killing, henhouse syndrome, or overkill, is a common behavior exhibited by predators, in which they kill more prey than they can immediately eat and then they either cache or they abandon the remainder.

Why do cats kill more prey than they eat?

Cats are what scientists call “surplus killers,” meaning they kill more prey than they eat. Surplus killing depletes the overall food supply and creates an excess of material for scavenger species, which can transmit diseases from feeding on carcasses, scientists say.

What is the effect of surplus killing on predators?

In surplus killing, predators eat only the most-preferred animals and animal parts. Bears engaging in surplus killing of salmon are likelier to eat unspawned fish because of their higher muscle quality, and high-energy parts such as brains and eggs. Surplus killing can deplete the overall food supply,…