Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
MANY cat owners are regularly treated to a grisly scene in the morning.
Half awake, they open the front door to fetch the newspaper and spy a dead bird on the doormat.
Another corpse may lie nearby. Few small animals are safe from a cat's hunting instinct.
What can you do if your feline keeps bringing home fresh victims?
"A human being can hardly influence a cat's hunting instinct, which is innate," said Brigitte Noltze, a cat lovers' association spokesman.
"The instinct does not diminish even when a cat has been kept indoors for years. "The urge to hunt doesn't disappear," she stressed.
But this does not mean that every cat, when let outside, will automatically do a lot of hunting.
"It's also a matter of character," Brigette said.
"The intensity of the hunting instinct varies greatly."
Cats born in the autumn and who spent their first months indoors often have a weaker urge to conquer a wide swath of territory and hunt a lot, according to animal behaviour therapists.
The breed also plays a role. Long-haired and relatively heavy cats such as Persians have hardly any hunting instinct, said Anneliese Hackmann, president of the World Cat Federation.
Breeds such as the Bahraini Dilmun, Bengal and Savannah cats - domestic-wild hybrids - have a greater urge to kill other animals.
The widespread shorthair is also a very agile and eager hunter.
"These cats also have strong instincts," Mrs Hackmann said.
Many cat owners put a belled collar around their cat's neck to warn prey of its approach.
Experts say this endangers the cat though as the collar can become entangled in underbrush or on a tree.
Apart from that, a bell doesn't really give warning because a cat remains still for a long time before attacking.
Creeping up on prey, lying in wait, getting ever closer and then pouncing - this is how all domestic cats hunt.
"Most cats have this technique only," Mrs Bernauer-Muenz said.
"Only a minority can pursue prey and attack from a greater distance.
"These cats are the most skilful hunters, and often catch birds. If you want to keep down the overall number of victims, you should keep your cat indoors when it likes to hunt - namely at night," Mrs Hackmann added.
"If you want to do songbirds a good turn," she recommended, "you should keep your cat indoors more often during the breeding season."
Many cat owners feel sorry for the little victims their kitty drags home.
"You should remember, however, that natural selection is at work here," Mrs Noltze remarked.
"Cats usually catch ill or weak animals. People must simply accept it.
"They can affect their cat's hunting score, but not its hunting instinct."
