What does your cat get up to when you're not around?

Your cat may be naughtier than you think, suggests an American "Kitty Cam" study. It could be hunting wild creatures in your neighbourhood and might even be cheating on you with a second set of owners.

One of the 60 outdoor cats fitted with 'Kitty Cams' for the study. (University of Georgia)Researchers at the University of Georgia attached waterproof cameras to the collars of 60 housecats in the area around Athens, Ga. All were outdoor, or "free-roaming," cats and wore the cameras for seven to 10 days at a time.

The cameras offer a unique cat's-eye view of their activities, even when people aren't around.

The scientists analyzed video from the cameras to learn what types of animals housecats were hunting and what kind of dangers they face in a suburban environment.

The cameras were similar to the National Geographic Crittercam used to take the video below. In this video, a housecat named Molly stalks and pounces on a rat she found on the streets of Washington, D.C.




The University of Georgia researchers found that many of the cats in their study, 44 per cent, hunted wildlife while they were wearing the cameras.
However, only 23 per cent of the time did these cats bring their prey home to show their owners. Half the time they left the animal in the place where they captured it and 28 per cent of the time they ate it.

Because the study took place in the Southern U.S., the most common animal the cats hunted was the Carolina anole, a small lizard. They also killed voles, mice, bugs and birds.

One of the surprising finds of the study, said the researchers, was that four of the 60 cats had a "second set of owners." The video from the attached cameras caught them entering into another house for food and pets.

What do you think your cat gets up to when you're not around? Does your cat present you with "presents" from the animals it has hunted? Would you be OK with sharing your cat with a second family? Let us know what you think.