# What preys on housecats in their natural environment? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021 "2005-07-18T19:40:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/1 "2005-07-18T19:40:05Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=325896) got me to thinking about this. [Housecats are very prolific breeders](http://felidaeworld.com/neuter.html). My (very minimal) understanding of population biology tells me that the reason an animal would be that prolific is that most of the babies can’t be expected to make it to adulthood in the natural environment. Cats have other behaviors (burying waste, hiding when injured) that [this site](http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/whycat.htm) says are behaviors designed to avoid predators. My question is, what animal or animals prey on housecats (or their wild ancestors) in their natural environment? If I Google “cat” and “predator”, I get lots of links about cats _as_ predators, but nothing I could find on what preys on cats. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/2 "2005-07-18T19:46:08Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=325896) got me to thinking about this. > > My question is, what animal or animals prey on housecats (or their wild ancestors) in their natural environment? If I Google “cat” and “predator”, I get lots of links about cats _as_ predators, but nothing I could find on what preys on cats. Pretty much any other predator bigger than a cat. Various dog species (wolves, coyote, etc) would be pretty much a given. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/3 "2005-07-18T19:48:23Z")
Housecats are descended from wild cats. According to [this site](http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Felis_silvestris.html): > [@](#): > > Most wild cats are preyed upon as young cats by larger predators, such as foxes, wolves, other cats, and large birds of prey, such as owls and hawks. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/4 "2005-07-18T20:06:37Z")
I can’t be certain that this is true of small wild cats, but it’s not uncommon for feral housecats to be killed by their own species. Unlike pet cats, who tend to conduct mock battles with few injuries, feral cats’ fights are often to the death. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/5 "2005-07-18T20:06:57Z")
Vacuum cleaners! Out here, coyotes regard house cats as mobile hors d’oeuvres. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/6 "2005-07-18T20:07:14Z")
If cartoons are any guide; baby kangaroos. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/7 "2005-07-18T20:14:05Z")
Raptors like hawks and owls account for some deaths in feral housecat populations, as do foxes and coyotes etc. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/8 "2005-07-18T20:18:02Z")
In addition, the survival rate for kittens is low. When a queen has a litter every heat, and is often not very well nourished herself, each litter of kittens is less likely to survive. In the South, it is not unusual for an entire litter of kittens to be bled literally to death by fleas. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/9 "2005-07-18T20:19:15Z")
Yeah, fleas, ticks and worms are another factor to consider, as well as disease. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/10 "2005-07-18T20:26:30Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > If cartoons are any guide; baby kangaroos. :eek:_ **B-BII-BB-B-B-I-BBBBIG MM-MOU-M-MM-M-MOU-OU-OUSE** _ ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/11 "2005-07-18T20:27:11Z")
Not to be snarky, but wouldn’t a house be the natural environment of a house cat? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/12 "2005-07-18T21:04:42Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > Raptors like hawks and owls account for some deaths in feral housecat populations, as do foxes and coyotes etc. Pet cats that are _not_ feral, but are allowed to run free outside by their owners are also a mainstay of birds of prey. I saw a Great Horned Owl in a neighbor’s tree once right in the middle of town. Raptors also come into town for the easy pickin’s. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/13 "2005-07-18T21:05:49Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=325896) got me to thinking about this. > > [Housecats are very prolific breeders](http://felidaeworld.com/neuter.html). My (very minimal) understanding of population biology tells me that the reason an animal would be that prolific is that most of the babies can’t be expected to make it to adulthood in the natural environment. Cats have other behaviors (burying waste, hiding when injured) that [this site](http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/whycat.htm) says are behaviors designed to avoid predators. > > My question is, what animal or animals prey on housecats (or their wild ancestors) in their natural environment? If I Google “cat” and “predator”, I get lots of links about cats _as_ predators, but nothing I could find on what preys on cats. You might have heard of them: Canis Canis familiaris dog Canis latrans coyote, prairie Canis lupus gray wolf Canis mesomelas ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/14 "2005-07-18T21:09:41Z")
> [@JillGat](#): > > Pet cats that are _not_ feral, but are allowed to run free outside by their owners are also a mainstay of birds of prey. I saw a Great Horned Owl in a neighbor’s tree once right in the middle of town. Raptors also come into town for the easy pickin’s. Aye, which is why Rhiow is indoor only. There are opossums and owls in this neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/15 "2005-07-18T21:10:03Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > I can’t be certain that this is true of small wild cats, but it’s not uncommon for feral housecats to be killed by their own species. Unlike pet cats, who tend to conduct mock battles with few injuries, feral cats’ fights are often to the death. Yes, many’s the time I’ve watch two of our cats “air-bite” each other as they simultaneously attempt to take possesion of my lap. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/16 "2005-07-18T21:12:38Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > Aye, which is why Rhiow is indoor only. There are opossums and owls in this neighborhood. _Opossums_? Seriously. You’ve got to be kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/17 "2005-07-18T21:15:09Z")
Nope, I’m not, there are wild opossums in[Kansas](http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/kansas-rehabilitators.html), and this town is VERY small. ---
**Author:** ![Ainak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Ainak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ainak)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/18 "2005-07-18T21:17:49Z")
Opposums can capture unguarded garbage, and may wrestle a discarded bagel to the ground, but not a cat. Not even a baby kitten. Opposums have brains the size of your average M&M. And are just marginally smarter. I’d worry about hawks. Jeeps. And dry cat food. (Which is basically corn – NOT a natural or favorable food for felines. No matter what the commercials say. Ground up mice and birds is the ideal food. Not grains.) ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/19 "2005-07-18T21:18:12Z")
Adding, I’ve seen one (an opossum) myself. Just down the street, a lady nearly hit a deer on her way to work two winters ago. (Which is the street ambulances run on btw.) Wildlife has incorporated itself into the neighborhoods here. There are also raccons around, which I’ve also seen in town, but far enough away from where I live that I think my yard isn’t likely part of their turf. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021/20 "2005-07-18T21:20:36Z")
**Ainak** the main worry would be rabies, and if the opossum is big enough, it could harm a cat, should they fight for whatever reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-preys-on-housecats-in-their-natural-environment/313021.md?page=2)