Research overview: play behavior and the development of predatory skills

Young cats engage in object and social play that is widely thought to help develop the motor patterns and coordination underlying predatory behavior. This overview surveys studies of play in kittens and cubs, the forms it takes, and its proposed functions in honing stalking, pouncing, and capturing skills before independence. It reviews how mothers contribute by bringing live or dead prey for cubs to practice on, and how play declines as hunting competence matures. The review considers debate over how directly play translates into adult hunting success. Understanding the development of predatory skills is relevant to rearing animals destined for release, where competent hunting is essential for survival after reintroduction.