As omnivores, bears feed on both plant and animal matter. So it only makes sense for them to hunt domestic cats for food, right? After all, as tiny as our feline friends are, they should make easy prey for something as powerful and dangerous as a bear.
Fortunately, while bear attacks on cats do happen, they’re exceedingly rare. It’s also uncommon for bears to dine on cats.
So is your pet cat in danger of becoming your average bear’s lunch? Read on to find out!
The Bear: A Monstrous Beast or a Timid Animal?
Bears are massive, ferocious beasts that can kill a full-grown human with a single slash with its claws.
Why are bear attacks on humans so rare, then?
The fact of the matter is that bears are shy creatures that would rather avoid us than approach or attack us. They tend to steer clear of our settlements as well, usually only ending up in towns and villages by accident, or when food is so scarce that they’re driven by desperation to rummage through our garbage.
In fact, in most cases, the only way to get mauled by a bear is to go out of your way to harass it, especially when it’s starving or it has cubs to protect.
If you’d like some tips on how to survive a bear attack, read our articles, “Do Bears Make Good Pets?” and “Do Bears Attack Chickens?”
Interestingly enough, bears avoid confrontations with cats, too. Which brings us to…
3 Reasons Why Bear Attacks on Cats Are Rare
Let’s explore the various reasons bears don’t kill cats more often!
1. Bears are nervous of cats
This may be hard to believe, but bears are nervous of domestic cats. Why? Possibly because pet cats remind them of large wild cats, which bears know are dangerous.
In the wild, bears sometimes come into conflict with wild cats, and there are cases of such felines attacking and defeating bears in battle. Some of these big cats even make off with bear cubs!
A domestic cat may not be the same as a wild cat, but the two have enough similarities in both appearance and behavior that a bear could be forgiven for being uneasy around both. And while pet cats are too small to injure bears in any significant way, any bear that has had a run-in with a wild cat will know that feline claws can cause painful injury. The bear then learns to fear pet cats by their association with their larger, wilder cousins.
But what about bears that have never been in contact with any sort of cat? Such bears won’t know how an escaped house cat will react to their presence, whether or not they’re aggressive, and what methods they’ll use to fight back. All these unknowns make domestic cats fairly scary to bears.
Not to mention cats are brave enough to stand up to creatures far larger than them. This fearlessness is unnerving to a bear that’s already averse to confrontation.
2. Cats are difficult to catch
Bears are exceptional runners, with the fastest among them capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
Cats are only slightly slower, with top speeds of around 30 miles per hour.
However, cats have other advantages. Specifically, they’re tiny, extremely agile, and are better jumpers than bears, making it exceptionally easy for them to escape a bear that’s chasing them.
For example, a cat would have no problem darting between a lumbering bear’s legs and running circles around it. They could squeeze into the tight spaces between bushes and trees that would hinder the bear’s pursuit.
Cats can climb trees too. Sure, some bear species are also great climbers, but remember that cats are much lighter and nimbler. If a bear follows one up a tree, the cat could simply climb onto higher branches that wouldn’t support a bear’s weight. Or they could leap onto another tree or even down to the ground!
3. Cats aren’t meaty
In addition to being small, cats don’t have a lot of meat on their bones. In other words, they’re not a good source of the nutrients bears need to survive and thrive.
Add to this the fact that cats fight back and are difficult to catch, and they really aren’t worth the trouble for bears. Why hunt cats when a bear can feed on fish, which are plentiful and far easier to capture?
2 Reasons Why Bears Attack Cats
So bears assaulting cats are more an exception than the rule. But what’s the reasoning behind the rare bear attack? Let’s find out!
1. The bear wants to eat the cat
As mentioned in the intro, bears are omnivorous – they eat both vegetation and meat. Their main food sources include berries, fish, grass, insects and their larvae, roots, and succulent plants. It’s also common for bears to consume larger wild creatures such as deer, elk, and moose, though they prioritize preying on their young as they’re easier to kill and drag off to their den.
As domestic cats typically don’t roam in the wild, it’s not normal for a bear to seek them as a primary food source. However, being an opportunistic animal, the bear will attack and devour a cat if:
- It’s starving
- Its primary food sources are neither available nor easily accessible
- The cat is easily accessible
So yes, if the opportunity presents itself, a bear will feed on a cat. Thankfully, such opportunities don’t come too often for bears.
2. The bear is threatened by the cat
We stated earlier that domestic cats may remind bears of larger wild felines, which can win fights against bears and even kill their cubs.
Thus, a bear may attack cats because it feels threatened by them. An attack is more likely to occur if the bear has cubs to protect, so a cat that gets between a mother bear and her young offspring is at an increased risk of getting slaughtered.
Another bear could become convinced that a nearby cat is trying to steal its food. If this happens during a time of severe food scarcity, the bear could assault the cat as a matter of survival.
Thankfully, most cats are smart enough to avoid getting too close to bears, so the above scenarios are extremely unlikely.
5 Tips on Protecting Your Cat from Bears
So you live in bear country and would like to know how to keep your cat safe from bear attacks? Then read on!
1. Scare the bears away
You don’t want any bears coming to your property, as this will increase the likelihood of your fur babies being discovered.
To prevent bear visits, install motion-sensing lights on your property. The moment this device senses a bear coming too close to your home, it will flash and startle the animal, scaring it away.
You can even scare the bear yourself. For instance, the moment you spot a bear approaching your home, you can shake a can filled with coins or smash the lids of two garbage cans together. If you’re going to do this, however, make sure you’re far from the bear and that there’s a barrier between you that will prevent it from reaching you. Never approach a bear or stay in a position that it has easy access to.
In addition, you can attach a noise-making item, such as a large bell, to your cat’s collar. Every time your cat moves, this item will make a noise that may frighten a bear off.
2. Secure your property
Secure your property, especially the yard. Build a tall, durable barrier around your area. This should stand at least 6 feet tall, be made of sturdy material, and extend into the ground around 18 or more inches.
A good example is a wire fence. Such a barrier will keep out not only bears but also other predators and pests, such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, and skunks.
You can even have electric fencing installed. This will deliver a shock to any bear that touches it. Don’t worry, this won’t kill a bear but only startle it and give it mild discomfort, which is enough to dissuade it from entering your property.
3. Monitor your cat
Keep a close eye on your cat especially if you’ve noticed that bears like exploring your neighborhood. Don’t let them out of the house if you get word from the local authorities or animal control that bears are on the prowl. In general, minimize the time your feline pal spends outdoors.
If you’re walking your cat, keep them leashed so they don’t run off. Avoid visiting forests or any other places that may be home to bears, especially during the time of the year when these creatures are rearing cubs or displaying the most aggression. If you do go trekking in the woods, make sure to bring bear pepper spray, as this can immobilize an aggressive bear, giving you and your cat a chance to flee.
4. Keep your property clean
Bears have a fantastic sense of smell that’s even more powerful than a dog’s. Therefore, if you don’t want a bear visiting your house and discovering your cat, make sure your property is free of any scents that it may find attractive.
Always clean up after your pets. Don’t leave any of their food in the open and thoroughly and immediately clean any mess they make.
Quickly throw away any trash and debris. Regularly empty your trash and garbage cans and keep them locked inside a structure that can hide their scent from bears. If you have a compost pile, it should also be within an enclosure.
Extensively clean anything that smells like food or has bits of food on it. If you have a barbecue grill, use ammonia to mask the scent of meat. Lock such items inside a secure storage space.
5. Remove fruits and beehives from your property
Because bears love fruits, their scent can draw these creatures to your home. So if you have some fruit-bearing trees on your property, make sure to pick their fruits as soon as possible, then store them somewhere secure. Don’t let them drop to the ground and rot.
Bears also enjoy honey and are thus attracted to beehives. Thus, make sure there aren’t any beehives on or near your property lest they attract these enormous mammals to your area.
Conclusion
Bears attack and eat cats but only do so rarely. Most of the time, bears avoid cats. After all, these beasts are nervous of felines, have trouble catching them, and find eating them unrewarding.
When a bear does attack a cat, it’s because starvation is driving it to consume them, or it feels threatened by them.
If you’re worried about your pet’s safety, know that there are several measures you can take to protect them against bear attacks. Consider enclosing your yard in a fence, installing motion-sensitive lights on your property, closely monitoring your cat’s movements, keeping your property clean, and removing any beehives or fruits from your property.