Richard Collins: Why do cats torment their victims in such a sadistic fashion

Domestic cats seldom eat their wild victims

Domestic cats seldom eat their wild victims but tend to torment them instead; the behaviour, it is thought, helps them hone their hunting skills.

‘Briseann on dúchas trí shúile an cait’!

An act of mindless cruelty was perpetrated in my home last week. Puddy, our six-year-old cat, caught a mouse. Instead of dispatching it immediately, she taunted and tormented the poor creature, releasing and letting it run towards cover before pouncing on it again. I have no great aversion to wild rodents, even when they invade the house, but the thought of mice peeing in my muesli is disturbing.