In the midst of adoring your sweet feline friend, have you ever paused and thought, “are cats apex predators”? It’s hard to believe that an animal with such an inviting belly and the cutest toe beans would be a killer? Sure, many of us cat owners have earned battle scars, but a cat’s wrath is usually avoidable if you understanding the correct way to handle one.
A happy and comfortable cat can bring joy in many ways, and may even come with health benefits for you! They give the best cuddles but, under the right circumstances, can be quite fierce. These conflicting behaviors beg the question — are cats apex predators?
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What is an Apex Predator?
When considering the question, it’s natural to think of big cats. In fact, most of us know the lion as the king of the jungle. While big cats are impressive, let’s go a little smaller and find out if small cats are apex predators too. By definition, an apex predator, also known as a top predator or alpha predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own. These animals play a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of their ecosystems.
They are often characterized by their strength, speed, and hunting prowess. They possess specialized adaptations, such as sharp claws, powerful jaws, and keen senses, that allow them to successfully hunt and capture prey. Examples of apex predators include lions, tigers, bears, wolves, killer whales, and great white sharks.
So, are cats apex predators?
Top 5 Most Deadly Apex Predator List
You’re probably familiar with some of the common apex predators like wolves, whales and bears. Would it surprise you to know that of the top five deadliest apex predators, there are two big cats, a very tiny cat and — you guessed it — the domestic cat. Here’s the list:
- African Wild Dogs: Masters of the hunt with an impressive 85% success rate.
- Black-footed Cats: Tiny but mighty, boasting a 60% success rate.
- Cheetahs: The fastest land animals, achieving a 58% success rate.
- Leopards: Stealthy and adaptable, with a 38% success rate.
- Domestic Cats: Yes, your cuddly companion! With a remarkable 32% success rate.
House cats may not be taking down the biggest prey in the land but when they hunt, their kill rate is much higher than some of the more obvious apex predators. For example, out of all of its hunts a tiger is only successful about 5% of the time. That’s a much worse performance than the domestic cat!
Are Small Cats Apex Predators? Yes, they are.
Why are cats apex predators?
The sweet and loving nature of a cat may still lead you to question why are cats apex predators. Apex predators are characterized by strength, speed, and hunting prowess, which many cats have — but there are plenty of things out there that could hurt or kill a small cat. So, how are cats apex predators?
While it is a big scary world out there, you may not be giving your cat enough credit for his ability to dodge danger. Despite your feelings that you need to protect your house cat from everything, he is equipped with much better survival skills than you might think.
Speed
Domestic cats are surprisingly fast, capable of reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. This impressive speed, coupled with their incredible agility, makes them formidable hunters. Cats possess exceptional flexibility and balance, allowing them to change direction with lightning speed and navigate obstacles with remarkable ease. Their powerful hind legs provide the explosive power for bursts of speed, while their flexible spines and retractable claws enhance their agility and allow them to maneuver through tight spaces and make sudden leaps.
While they may not chase down prey in the wild like their big cat cousins, domestic cats still retain these impressive athletic abilities, often showcasing them during playful “zoomies” around the house.
Vision
Cats are impressive hunters thanks to their finely-tuned senses and bodies designed for the job. While cats don’t have night-vision in the way you might think, they can see six times better than humans in the dark. This means even at a distance, they can spot prey under much less-than-ideal circumstances.
Their eyes are adapted for low-light conditions, allowing them to see well in dim light and at night. They have a wider field of vision than humans, enabling them to spot prey more easily. Additionally, their eyes are equipped with a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer that enhances their night vision. This combination of visual adaptations gives cats a significant advantage in hunting, allowing them to accurately assess distances, track prey movements, and successfully ambush their targets.
Sense of Smell
Cats possess an amazing sense of smell, far surpassing that of humans. Their noses are equipped with millions of olfactory receptors, allowing them to detect even the faintest of scents. This keen sense of smell is invaluable for hunting. Cats can use it to locate prey by following scent trails, identify potential threats, and assess whether their catch is safe to eat. Their ability to detect the smallest traces of pheromones and other scents in the environment gives them a significant advantage in the hunt, making them highly successful predators.
Hearing
Cats possess extraordinary hearing abilities that make them highly effective hunters. Their ears are incredibly sensitive, capable of detecting sounds far beyond the human range. This acute hearing allows them to pinpoint the location of prey with incredible accuracy, even in low-light conditions or when the prey is hidden. Their ability to swivel their ears independently allows them to focus on specific sounds and quickly locate the source of a rustle, a squeak, or a movement. This exceptional auditory sense, combined with their stealthy movements and lightning-fast reflexes, makes them formidable predators in the hunt.
No Natural Predators
All of the things above contribute greatly to cats having no natural predators. Yes, they are small and there are lots of things out there that could hurt or kill them, but a cat’s finely tuned sense of fight and flight work to their benefit.
Their agility and sharp claws make them noteworthy opponents for most animals, and their ability to climb and hide offers them an advantage. If a cat can’t fight a threat, it can almost certainly get away. In domestic settings, cats are often kept indoors, further shielding them from potential threats. While they may face dangers like cars or larger predators in outdoor environments, their natural instincts and human caretakers (you!) often help them avoid harm.
An important point to note that apex predators have no natural predators in their environment. A domestic cat removed from the boundaries of your home or neighborhood would surely lose its apex predator status.
House Cats Are Apex Predators — Did They Evolve From Big Cats?
If domestic cats evolved from their bigger, wilder counterparts, why are we questioning why are cats apex predators? That would be a natural assumption, right? Well, despite what you may have heard, domestic cats are not direct descendants of big cats. They are very distantly related, particularly to tigers. Research shows that while house cats share over 95% of their DNA with tigers, the last time they shared a common ancestor was over 10 million years ago.
The earliest direct ancestor of your kitty friend is the African wildcat. It is thought that simply by being in the right place, at the right time, the African wildcat ended up being the species of small cat that would end up being today’s housecats.
Around the time that people first settled into villages the African wildcat — unafraid of humans and, actually, quite friendly — began hanging around. The villagers noticed how skilled they were at controlling rodents and decided it was in their best interest to keep them around. And that was history!
A combination of curious cats and humans who needed pest control is what started us on the path to us sharing our homes with apex predators. Even back then, we recognized cat for what they are — hunting machines.
Conclusion: Are Cats Apex Predators? Yes.
Cats’ small size, adorable features, and comical antics might still leave you with the question, “are cats apex predators”? Nonetheless, they absolutely are! Small cats are amazingly equipped for hunting, successfully killing prey over 3 times out of every 10 attempts. They are equally equipped for an efficient getaway if necessary. Within the boundaries of their home territories, cats are protected by their own skills and by their human companions, leaving them with no natural predators.
Cats have a highly developed sense of smell, flexible bodies, retractable claws, and lightning-fast reflexes, making them agile and efficient predators. All these things combined with their stealthy nature and patience, make cats formidable hunters in both domestic and wild settings.
They may not be the biggest or the scariest of predators, but they certainly deserve their respect. The next time someone asks, “Are cats apex predators?” — be sure to tell them, yes!