Modern Cats
- Maia Labbe
- Feb 26, 2025
- 4 min read
This is my cat Savannah, aptly named after the hybrid Savannah cat. Can you see the resemblance?
Though she may not look it, and I'll admit that photo does not do her justice, Savannah is a fierce predator. Perhaps a psychotic one, at that.
At the old age of 12, she spends most of her time lounging about the house or exploring the outdoors. But at night, it's like a creature is unleashed. I'm not even sure that's still my cat.
She'll start the night down in the basement but very quickly bring the fun upstairs. "The fun" being a poor unsuspecting mouse.
On the first floor, the mouse is subject to torture. She'll intentionally let it go, prolonging the hunt. It usually ends up hiding in the radiator. Savannah will just wait it out, sitting there, dead silent, daring it to make a move.
By morning, the mouse is a present left outside our bedrooms.
Savannah, like most cats, runs on instinct. Maybe 100 years ago her hunting ability would have served her well, but most pet cats don't rely on this anymore.
Cats as House Pets
Since the end of World War I, cats have been common household pets. Last year 42.2 million households in the United States owned a cat, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In their cozy homes, cats don't need to provide for themselves, but they still get the urge to feed their killer instincts. Usually, you'll see this in how they play.
My roommate's cat, Laurie, is probably the least skilled hunter I have ever seen. I often catch him stalking dust bunnies or invisible creatures.
But Laurie is not a complete failure. He has some skill.
One time he amputated the leg of a cockroach. That was his greatest achievement.
All jokes aside, even the least-skilled hunters need to feed their instincts. Laurie is a high energy, 4-year-old cat. He constantly wants to play. That's the only way a house cat can release its energy.
Without that outlet, cats can become aggressive, feeding into the stereotype that they are mean and aloof.
Cats are not coldhearted, unloving creatures. They just have certain needs that need to be met as well as unique personalities.
Once again, Laurie is a great example. He is the sweetest cat I have ever met but also the least affectionate.
He would never intentionally hurt a person, no matter how annoyed he got, but he would voice his opinion. If you touch him, he'll walk away. If you pick him up, he'll squirm.
House cat's aren't mean or aloof; they're great at setting boundaries. Feral cats are a different story.
Strays
Cats reproduce rapidly, with females reaching sexual maturity at four-months-old. The nonstop population growth is very difficult to control. In the U.S. alone, there is anywhere from 60 to 100 million stray cats.
Feral cats are the product of overpopulation globally. They live separate from humans and behave like wild animals.
There are limited solutions to the overpopulation problem. We can't just adopt them all. While there are many strays that would do well in a home, there are also many that wouldn't.
It would be inhumane and illogical to put adult feral cats in homes. This is part of the reason why TNR was developed.
TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Return. It is the process of catching cats, neutering and vaccinating them, then sending them back where they came from.
TNR is not going to completely fix the overpopulation problem, but it can help regulate it.
The other solution is euthanasia. TNR provides a humane alternative that benefits everyone.
However, feral cat colonies can be a nuisance. They are harmful to the ecosystem and aren't really doing anything positive. This changes when we introduce the idea of working cats.
Working Cats
Throughout their history, cats have been widely used as pest control. Today, working cats aren't as common.
As I said previously, cats are very harmful to the ecosystem. This is because, like Savannah, they are ruthless killers.
With the overpopulation crisis, there is no stopping their impact. We can, however, put it to use.
The Working Cat Program through Operation Catnip in Gainesville, FL, is a local example of this.
This program relocates poorly socialized and feral cats to non-traditional homes where they will act as pest control. It emphasizes that relocation should be the last resort for these animals, demonstrating that this not an all around solution.
The working cat relationship benefits both parties. The cats are given the freedom needed to thrive as well as safety, and their owners get effective pest control.
There are also larger scale versions of this dynamic. Disneyland has a small colony of feral cats.
The cats are not part of an effort to manage pests, but they are allowed to coexist, and probably help out anyway.
In today's society, cats exist in many ways. They could be your best friend, cuddled up with you at home, or an elusive stray you see in the streets. With all these lives they can thrive, so long as they are given the opportunity.
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