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Spyger9 t1_j6c3zki wrote

Reply to comment by Yay_for_Pickles in 9 lives by PewPewAnimeGirl

Hilarious in a couple ways:

  1. If we're classifying animals as one or the other, cats are absolutely predators.

  2. You're suggesting that animals don't want to appear vulnerable because they are prey, which implies that predators operate differently.

Not saying your advice is bad, but the logic seems pretty shoddy.

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bremidon t1_j6cgu5y wrote

Correct. They are not apex predators, so they have to keep their heads on a swivel and check their 6; but not only are the predators, they are obligate carnivores.

Cats are notable for how well they can hide pain. I would be curious if there are other animals that do this as well or better than cats, because I am not aware of any.

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Yay_for_Pickles t1_j6ck71d wrote

Our vet told this to me when my cat seemed to have had a stroke. He was fine in the morning, then was a hot mess a few hours later.

He was actually in kidney failure, for a while, and showed no signs of illness, apparently for this reason. I was surprised, too.

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emowgli t1_j6cmbfe wrote

Many predators have their own predators, unless they are apex predators. And animals are opportunistic, they take advantage of vulnerabilities of others.

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selfishcaboose t1_j6c5v6g wrote

Even their eye shape makes them predator. Prey animals have a wider field of vision with sideways pupils. Predators have the vertical for help in depth perception and light capture. Ofc it's not for all of either but generally if it's forward set eyes and round or vertical slit it's a predator. Just best for hunting moving prey.

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Spyger9 t1_j6c7e9u wrote

Also there's just this tiny little thing that we might consider in such a discussion about the nature o- THEY EAT MEAT WITH THEIR BIG POINTY TEETH!!!

XD

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Advocate_Diplomacy t1_j6e3jpk wrote

There’s considerable overlap in the animal kingdom between predator and prey. Being a predator doesn’t make you an apex predator.

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selfishcaboose t1_j6gd75f wrote

Predator: an animal that naturally preys on another. Wasn't claiming they weren't hunted themselves. But by definition they are predator. People are confusing the two themselves.

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bremidon t1_j6cgvf5 wrote

I have no idea why you got downvotes; the eye shape thing is spot on.

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Werechimp t1_j6ez0nr wrote

They’re getting downvotes because, while they’re not wrong, it’s contributing to a misleading idea in this thread that cats aren’t prey animals because they’re predators. They’re both. They’re predators to small creatures and prey to bigger ones. So they have characteristics of both predators and prey because they fill both roles.

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bremidon t1_j6h09um wrote

No, you are the one who is misled. While it's true that they are prey to some animals, they are most definitely predators first and foremost.

Otherwise, you would have to call humans a prey animal, as in some situations, we are. Now *that* would be highly misleading and completely take any meaning out of the words "prey" and "predator".

The eyes should be your hint. They are 100% optimized for being a predator. That they are not an *apex* predator is clear to all of us here.

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Wine-o-dt t1_j6e525b wrote

They are very much predators, but not apex predators. When it comes to predators that are vulnerable to being eaten themselves cats are very high up on that list. They are not classified as a prey animal, which is more reserved for obligatory herbivores. They are however very susceptible to predation. Their entire behavior schema is to conceal themselves not only because they are predators, but also they tend to be prey themselves in almost all bio systems they are in. I think op did not mean them to be mutually exclusive, but failed to properly define small cats role in a bio system

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