Research overview: prey selection and hunting tactics in cats

Domestic and small wild cats are generalist ambush hunters that adjust tactics to prey type, alternating sit-and-wait at burrows and active mobile searching. This overview synthesises diet and behaviour studies showing strong selection for small mammals, supplemented by birds, reptiles, and invertebrates, and the influence of prey size, abundance, and risk on choice. It covers the surplus-killing tendency, the catch-and-release handling of dangerous prey, and how hunger only loosely governs hunting motivation. The topic explains the ecological flexibility that makes cats effective predators across habitats and informs both wildlife-impact assessments and enrichment strategies that satisfy the hunting drive in pets.