In this video, a black and white cat paws at a giant brown remote-controlled tarantula. It looks like a novelty item bought for Halloween but it quickly became a cat toy. The cat begins laying down, partially under a nearby bed frame. He plays it cool, grooming his face and pawing cautiously as the tarantula stays in one place. Each time the tarantula moves, even just a little bit, the cat gets wary. What exactly is this thing? the cat thinks to himself. And do I need to attack it? He eventually comes out and tries to sneak up on the tarantula toy. He paws and sniffs at the spider, which prompts it to move. Even the smallest movements have the cat reacting. He decides that the tarantula isn’t a true threat and moves on to prowl another area of the house.
Natural Hunters
Cats have been domesticated for many, many years. As a species, they have been around as constant companions to humans since as early as 12,000 years ago. When communities began to farm and cultivate the same plot of land rather than ranging around in a nomadic lifestyle, cats became important to keep rodents and other pests away. Along with dogs, they were one of the first domesticated animals. Cats and dogs remain some of the most popular pets around the world. Their hunting instincts are still present, as you can see in this video. Cats are able to retract or extend their front claws as needed. They often paw at blankets, towels, or other soft items. Some people call this kneading biscuits and it is normal cat behavior. In this video, the cat is pawing at the tarantula as a hunter. While it is unlikely to actually pounce and try to eat the tarantula, this behavior shows that the cat is feeling it out to see if it is a threat that will fight back. Seeing little resistance from the toy, the cat decides that it is safe and moves on. Some cats are more inclined to pounce on things like this toy tarantula than others. That may be a reaction to the way that they grew up of the way that they get food (outdoor and feral cats tend to do this more because they are active hunters). Or it may just be their personality. Some cats even like to play and bat toys like this around. No matter the reason, it is fascinating to see a cat’s hunting instincts come out, even if in the end they decide that the remote-controlled tarantula isn’t anything to worry about.
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