Feral Cat Hunting Strategies

One of the most commonly asked questions I get about feral cat hunting is "how effective is a spot and stalk technique, or is it even worth trying". In my opinion it is extremely effective and is a must if you're hunting in an area with baiting restrictions. I maintain a research herd of two cats in my apartment. While you can't learn to pattern feral cats exactly from domestic stock observations, you can learn many vital secrets as their behaviors are similar.

For example when I try to sneak up on my Siamese he thinks it's a game and will run and hide in one of his favorite ambush spots. My other cat will simply give me a look like "what are you doing?' It's worth pointing that out as she was found in the woods as a kitten and will never be 100% tame. While she is a house cat now, she wasn't always and some of her feral traits persist to this day.

Unless you are in an area where the cats have a lot of hunting pressure it is not uncommon to be able to stalk within 10-15 feet of a feral cat before they pay you any attention. The key to this is to be as quiet as possible and avoid eye contact until you're ready to let him hold one.