One early morning you wake up to find several bloody mice placed by your bedside. Would you scream in shock? Don’t panic, this is just a "small" gift from your cat. But if this happens every morning, it wouldn’t feel so wonderful; owners would certainly scold angrily, wondering if catching mice is the only skill this lousy cat has?

　　Speaking of catching mice, many people believe this skill is innate to cats. But is that really true? It is said that in the 1930s, a Chinese psychologist conducted an interesting experiment about cats catching mice. He divided kittens into four groups:

　　The first group of kittens were separated from their mother right after birth, unable to see the mother’s mouse-catching behavior;

　　The second group lived with their mother and could observe her mouse-catching behavior;

　　The third group were separated from their mother after birth but lived with mice;

　　The fourth group were shocked when they saw mice, forming a conditioned reflex to avoid mice.

　　Then, controlling for other variables, these cats were allowed to grow up. When they matured, their reactions to mice were observed: the first group was indifferent; the second group displayed mouse-catching behavior; the third group did not imitate even when seeing other cats catch mice; the fourth group were afraid of mice and ran away when they saw them.

　　The result of this experiment is quite interesting. It shows that without maternal induction of mouse-catching, cats do not naturally catch mice. Although in daily life we sense that cats are born with an instinct to "catch moving objects," reaching out naturally when something moves, feeling a need to act, it does not mean cats are born to catch mice. It is through practice and repeated training that they master prey-catching techniques.

　　Why do cats develop interest in mice after birth? It’s partly due to maternal teaching, but from a nutritional and dietary perspective, the explanation may be clearer. Cats have very sharp teeth but poor chewing ability. Some high-fiber vegetables and fruits cannot be broken down in the mouth by chewing and thus cannot be digested and absorbed in the intestines. Cats can only obtain certain vitamins by eating animals that feed on vegetables and fruits.

　　Moreover, we know cats lack a substance called taurine, which is closely related to their bright eyes. Mice provide taurine that cats cannot synthesize. Apart from combining with bile acids to form taurocholic acid which promotes fat digestion and absorption, taurine also plays a critical role in maintaining sharp vision, normal reproduction, immunity, and neurological functions. It is an essential amino acid. Therefore, cats do not love eating mice but must consume them to protect their vision and maintain health. For this reason, cats are very interested in small rodents, birds, reptiles, and fish. However, compared to other small animals, mice are easier to catch and more common around human residences, making mice-catching an everyday activity for some cats.

　　Mice are one of the four pests and carriers of various viruses and bacteria. Thus, cats catching mice also contributes to public health. However, honestly, mice are not commonly found in big cities nowadays. So, we only see cats at home sleeping lethargically all day. Long-term lack of exercise increases their risk of illness! Therefore, to keep cats healthy and strong, based on their fondness for chasing mice, owners can buy toys like electric mice for them to play with at home. Cats will surely enjoy playing with them enthusiastically!