moth hunting indoors

I am struggling a bit with Hazel's indoor hunting lately. She is a 6-year-old tabby who is usually very sweet and affectionate, but she has developed a fascination with small insects that get into the house. Last night, she brought a dead moth to my nightstand and then sat there watching me sleep for about an hour.

I know this is probably normal behavior, but it feels a little intense. I am worried about her ingesting things that might not be safe or just the sheer number of bugs she is catching. How do you all manage this kind of hunting behavior for small insects without making her feel like she is missing out on something? She seems very focused on it.

Oh my gosh, this sounds so familiar! Chester does the exact same thing with flies and sometimes even just dust motes! I think the bringing it to the nightstand is actually a sign of trust, even if it is gross for us humans. You can read more about why they do that in My cat brings me dead bugs because I posted about that last month when Biscuit used to do it before he passed. It is part of their bond with you, I think.

Haha the watching you sleep part is classic. Mine does that too. I think it is just their version of keeping watch or maybe they are just bored. why cats watch you sleep covers that a bit.

For the hunting part, I have found that providing lots of other outlets helps. We started doing more play sessions in the evening. redirecting insect hunting has some good ideas there. We use laser pointers and feather wands. It keeps them busy so they are not as focused on the bugs.

I am so worried about the health aspect! Coco is a Persian and she is not very active, so I am terrified she will eat something weird. Is it actually dangerous for them to eat moths? I have seen some posts that say the pesticides on them could be bad, but I am not sure how true that is. safety of eating small insects is the thread I was looking at recently. It mentioned that small amounts are usually fine, but I still get anxious every time I see a bug on the floor!

Thank you all for the reassurance! I am glad to know it is a sign of trust rather than just being gross. I will definitely look into more evening play sessions. I have been trying to keep the windows closed, but they still get in. keeping moths out of the bedroom had some tips on sealing gaps that I might try this weekend. I also want to make sure I am not missing any medical history here, so I linked my previous post about her habits in Hazel's history with pica in case anyone wants to check her background. She has always been a bit of a scavenger.

You should try the wand toys that have the little bell on them! Felix loves them. It really mimics the sound of prey, which triggers that hunting instinct in a much more controlled way than actual bugs. toys that mimic prey is full of recommendations from other members. I found that switching to these before bed really helps calm them down and stops them from going on the hunt for anything else in the house. Good luck with Hazel!