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Why Does My Cat Hunt Me? (Boredom or Instinct?)

If your cat is constantly hunting you it may be annoying you or get you wondering why this keeps happening…

Why does my cat hunt me?

If your cat is hunting you its likely for these few reasons: boredom, instinct or using up unused energy. If its the former, boredom it is easily fixed with the investment of some quality time from you. If ist the latter, it may just need more activities in its day.

So, now you know. But, is it OK for them to hunt you like this? Should you discipline the cat for this? What else can you do to prevent this happeing? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

3 top reasons why your cat hunts you:

Earlier I briefly mentioned some reasons why your cat may be hunting you. Therefore, in this section I will explain each one in more detail:

01. It’s bored

If your cat is acting like this there is a good chance that it is bored. This is common for indoor cats in particular who do not have enough entertainment indoors.

In the wild, before domestication, cats would have to hunt for food and keep active. Therefore, it may fill its time hunting you. Obviously, it doesn’t mean it wants to harm you, but it needs an outlet for its boredom.

02. Instinct

Another thing to consider, if your cat is hunting you is pure instinct. Meaning, cats are built to hunt small animals, such as mice. Therefore, when they are not actively hunting them, they will want to practice.

Unfortunately for you, you are its practice board, in this context. Obviously, they mean no harm if this is the case. But, they will hunt you regardless.

03. Unused energy

If your cat is stuck indoors and inactive it may have a lot of energy build-up. Basically unspent energy that it’s eager to use. When this happens it may hunt you like this just to simply burn it off.

In general, cats like to keep active. I get it, there are some lazy cats, but many cats prefer to keep themselves active. And, that includes hunting you, if need be. If you are not happy with this keep reading, because later I will share some tips to prevent this happeing.

Is it OK for your cat to hunt you?

If your cat is not hurting or annoying you then it’s fine for it to hunt you. However, some cats take it too far and start scratching, biting, or attacking their owner, this is not ok.

If this is happening then you will look into the root cause of the issue and work on correcting it. Other than that it’s a personal choice and action for you to confirm how you feel about it.

Should you discipline your cat for hunting you?

If you are unhappy with your cat hunting you then disciplining your cat negatively is not recommended. This is because cats rarely react in the way you may hope. If you think that will magically stop them from doing it, you have a surprise.

Therefore it’s better to look for a more effective and friendly way to get results.

How can I prevent my cat from hunting me?

If you have had enough of your cat and want some methods to stop it hunting , going forward, then here are some options for you to consider:

01. Play with it more

Just simply playing with your cat more mght make it less inclined to hunt you. Firstly, it will see you more often and secondly it will release its energy which will make it feel worn out and get its playtime fix out of its system, if that makes sense?

Another benefit of playing with it more is it will boost your bond with your cat. When this happens it will feel closer, want to sit in your lap and cuddle, etc.

02. Get another cat companion

If you feel that you do not have enough time to play with your cat. Or, you’ve tried that and things are still not working, another option is to get another cat, or kitten.

The idea here is to free up your time by making the cats play together more. Hopefully, because they should play together, there is less chance of it needing to hunt you.

However, one word of warning, some cats won’t get on with a new kitten, or cat. It just works out that way.

03. Distracting sounds & reward

To stop your cat hunting you using distracting sounds like hand claps will momentarily draw its attention from the hunt. Then, if you immediately follow up with a tasty treat (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) then it will make it lose focus on hunting you.

Also, the idea is, in time it will be more interested in pestering you for these rewards, rather than hunting you.

Do cats like to play fight?

Cats do like to play fight. Kittens in particular love to play fight. The theory is, it comes from their life with their littermates. If you watch a litter of kittens you will often see them rolling around, nibbling and licking each other. This is just how they play.

Therefore, when they leave them for a new home it can take time, if ever, to get over this behavior.

Why do cats hunt?

Cats hunt on instinct. Meaning, before domestication it was a necessity to survive. At this time, living in the wild, if they didn’t hunt there was no food.

These necessities become habits, which become cat instinct passed on to generations. Therefore, to this day, even in domestic homes with cats well fed by their owners, they still have the hunger to chase a bird just or the hunt.

Why does my cat hunt me at night

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During the night your cat may hunt you because of your movement. Meaning, small fidgets, feet moves, or toe wiggles will create an interest. Also, because you are likely to be covered by a sheet, or duvet, your cat may not know its you under there.

Basically your movement has just triggered its hunting instinct. This is different to it waiting behind a door for you. This is a reaction to random movement it never anticipated.

Why does my cat hunt me when I go to the bathroom?

When you go to the bathroom your cat will still like to play and hunt you just for fun. Especially if its bored, or you don’t spend enough time with it.

Thsi can Either happen in the bathroom, or it may wait for you to open the door and then jump you!

Why does my cat hunt my feet?

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Your cat may hunto your feet because it likes to play. And, your feet are close enough to its body, while you stand up, so its a likely candidate. Especially if you are sitting at a table eating, your feet are available and easily attainable.