Are Female Cats Better Hunters? (Clear Answers)

Cats are temperamental beings that can be great companions for anyone. Their ability to live independent lives, hunting, relaxing, and playing, can help them be more busy pet owners have a companion. Since cats are known for being hunters, you may be wondering if female cats are better hunters?

Unspayed Female cats are better at hunting than un-neutered male cats because they have the instinct to feed their young.  Spayed female cats will likely be at the same hunting level as neutered male cats due to less focus on mating and mothering instincts.

Once you know why some cats are better hunters than others, you can decide which cat is right for you. Read on to learn about the characteristics that make female cats better hunters.

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Cat Hunting Skills

Many natural characteristics make cats better hunters. As long as they are trained to be companion pets, these character traits will not make your cat unfriendly.

Attitude Towards Others

Female cats are known for being aloof. They are usually considered cold and unfeeling. They tend to stay away from people if they are not trained to be friendly from the beginning. There is anecdotal evidence that female cats tend to be more aloof because they enjoy being loners and the only cat in the household. 

My Domestic Shorthair cat, Charlotte, is a female cat and I am pretty confident she enjoys being the only cat in the household.

This can be great for hunting because it will be easier to have no competition for killing mice or other things without not having multiple cats in the home. Male cats need the companionship of humans and want to show more affection. They still enjoy more solitary ways of life, but they are not opposed to having people around.

Being more solitary and also helps females have the right mindset for hunting. If they have kittens, they will focus on helping them survive, and hunting is an excellent way to feed them. Male cats that aren’t neutered yet can be more focused on their own life.

Getting Spayed Makes A Difference

Before a cat is spayed, female cats may be more likely to cause more problems. Before they are spayed, female cats can be more aggressive and create more noise because they are uncomfortable and in heat.

A female cat after being spayed can keep some more aggressive traits but also be calmer. The more tranquil stealth-like attitude is good for hunting other animals that may be laking before being spayed.

In addition, the female cat will be more comfortable in their environment and will stick to habits they have ingrained in them from birth. This can help them hunt and feel more comfortable in their environment because they do not need to procreate.

In comparison, male cats will be more focused on marking their territory before they get neutered. They will spray everything and make sure other animals know about their territory. This can make hunting difficult because other animals might not get close enough to be hunted.

After male cats are neutered, they become more docile and more focused on independent activities. The aggression they show before being fixed tends to go away, and hunting becomes less of a priority.

Maternal Instinct

Most unspayed female cats have a maternal instinct. Before being spayed, they can have up to three litters per year. If you aren’t careful, you could have a house run by kittens. The maternal instinct female cats have to take care of and protect their young impacts their hunting skills. They are more inclined to hunt when they are trying to take care of their young.

Female cats will hunt to bring their young food, even if their humans feed them. Will quietly sneak up on small animals and bring them home to their young. If they are outdoor cats and have kittens, hunting is an essential part of having food.

Female cats also need to teach their young to hunt, requiring them to be proficient in hunting. This is an ingrained skill and is part of their maternal instinct. Teaching this skill and will help them become better hunters.

On the other hand, male cats are more likely to be alone because they do not have that maternal instinct. Instead, they focus more heavily on adventuring and protecting their families. Before neutering, they tend to be more aggressive, which helps them be better hunters, but they lose that trait and become more docile after neutering.

External Factors that Impact a Cat’s Hunting Abilities

A cat’s environment will impact how a female cat hunts. Even though they have ingrained traits in them, cats are still affected by their environments.

Human Interaction

A cat can become more socialized the more time they spend with their humans. When you train your cat and give them love and affection, you garner a better relationship with them. Cats can show you affection in better their couple of different ways through purring, rubbing their faces on you, or even hunting.

Hunting can be a sign of affection from cats. On occasion, they will carry around things they have hunted and drop them at your feet. This can be a sign of love and a demonstration of their skills. By wanting to show their humans affection, they are building up their hunting skills. It is important to praise them for doing this because it will keep them wanting to do it.

Female and male cats are likely to do this, and both can help their hunting skills.

Feeding Schedule

Contrary to popular belief, sometimes if you feed your cat more, they are more likely to hunt. Cats have been known to hunt for entertainment and play with their prey. However, a hungry cat might not have the energy and is more likely to turn aggressive towards its humans than prey.

Keeping a cat well fed will help you have them practice their hunting skills and keep your cat happy. Both of these things are crucial for your cat, no matter if they are male or female.

Do Male or Female Cats Hunt Better?

Unspayed females are believed to hunt better than un-neutered males.  This includes hunting mice.  Unspayed Females tend to have the hunting skill ingrained in them. They are meant to be the teachers to their children about how to hunt and have strong instincts to feed their young. They also tend to be more aggressive and quiet, which can help them when hunting.

Un-neutered males may tend to focus more on their mating instincts rather than hunting instincts.  They will still hunt, but may not have the same drive to hunt mice that Unspayed female cats may have.

Overall, both male and female felines hunting abilities are based on their upbringing and personal experiences. If you do not take these into account, certain species will be better hunters than others.

Are Female Cats More Loving?

You may see unspayed female cats being more loving than un-neutered male cats.  Female cats that are mothers will likely show loving traits to their young.  Spayed female cats and

Neutered male cats will likely show the same level of lovingness to humans and other animals.  The specific cat breed will also matter if you are judging how loving a cat is to humans or other animals. 

Are Female Cats Nicer Than Males?

Unspayed female cats may be nicer than un-neutered male cats.  This is likely due to the focus on mating behaviors that un-neutered male cats will have.  If we are talking about neutered male cats and spayed female cats, then I think they can both be quite nice. 

Are Female Cats Territorial?

Female cats are territorial, just like male cats.  Outdoor female cats will tend to have smaller territories than outdoor male cats. Cats can show territorial aggression towards humans and other animals that are in their territories.

Cat Breeds Less Likely to Hunt

All cats will have hunting instincts, but some cat breeds will be less likely to hunt.  This is probably because some cats are known to be more lethargic.  Some cat breeds that you should expect to hunt less are:

• Persian Cats
• Exotic Shorthair Cats
• Ragdoll Cats

Are Black Cats Better Hunters?

Black cats are not better hunters than cats of any other color, although it is possible they could have an advantage of camouflage (being black cats and night being dark).  Cat breed plays a much bigger role in how good of a hunter a cat is than cat color does.

Are Male or Female Cats Better with Dogs?

Male or female cats will be about the same with dogs (they could be good or bad with them).  Different cat breeds are known to be better with dogs.  Some cat breeds that are believed to be better with dogs are:

• Maine Coon Cats
• Abyssinian Cats
• Siberian Cats

Conclusion

Both male and female cats can be exceptional hunters. But depending on their upbringing and instincts, desexed male and female cats will be about the same in their hunting capabilities. But now that you know about the impact of a cat’s upbringing and internal traits, you will be able to understand if your cat is a good hunter or not.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out a few more:

• Are Female Cats Mean? Answers About Cat Aggression:  Click Here
• Are Female Cats Clingy (Quick Answers):  Click Here.
• Are Female Cats Friendly:  Click Here.