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From: wiebe@ut-ngp.UUCP (Anne Hill Wiebe)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Reason For Cat Behavior
Message-ID: <2873@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jan-86 14:53:01 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2873
Posted: Tue Jan 28 14:53:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jan-86 06:19:29 EST
References: <1904@rayssd.UUCP>
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Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
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Why do cats love long thin things, especially flexible ones?
They're imprinted with a strong attraction for tails of prey such
as mice.  This most particularly applies when the "tail" is moving
away from them along the ground:  I've never known a cat so torpid 
that it isn't at least interested in that sight.  Their eyes are
especially adapted to see moving things much better than stationary
ones.

In fact, cats also have an astonishing instinctive ability to sink
their teeth (on the first try, within a fraction of a second) into
a particular tiny spot on a mouse's neck that allows their tooth
to penetrate between vertebrae and sever the spinal cord!  (I read
this in a very authoritative book on cat behavior; I could probably
come up with the reference if anyone cares ... it also describes the
progression of learning that goes on as a newborn kitten learns to
play, in stages.  Fascinating.)

- Anne Wiebe (wiebe@ut-ngp.UT.EDUC)
  University of Texas at Austin