A survey of cat owners in the UK has revealed that most are clueless about their cats' lives.

Ecologist Jennifer McDonald and her colleagues conducted a small survey in the UK. They asked cat owners how many dead animals their cats brought into the house each month on average and observed those cats daily. Most either overestimated their pets' hunting tendencies or overestimated their hunting skills.

A cat's cute appearance does not change the fact that they are predatory animals. Nature drives them to hunt, whether ready to pounce on a stuffed toy mouse or a real one.

This statement is not meant to say that cats are bad; it is just that we should see the real side of our pets and still love them. It also reminds us that cats are better for their health and ecology when they stay indoors.

Studies have revealed that cats that spend much time outdoors bring home less than ten prey items per month, but animal behaviorists believe that cats only get home about a third of their prey.

Cats follow the "two for myself and one for the owner" principle. The rest of the prey is eaten on the spot, torn apart, or left on the road.

So, each cat kills less than thirty prey per month, which doesn't sound like much. But if a hundred cats live in a town, that's over three thousand critters dead in that town every month.

The extent of cat hunting may take aback cat owners, but even if they were aware of their pet's hunting habits, they would strongly oppose measures to restrict its freedom.

Sixty percent of those surveyed do not believe that cats harm wildlife. At the same time, 98 percent of those surveyed said they were opposed to keeping their cats at home all the time.

This means that 40 percent of people who knew their cats were harmful to wildlife did not want to keep them at home.

Even after the researchers educated cat owners, they didn't want to change their minds. One cat owner said, "Our cat has the right to choose whether to stay home or go out and play."

However, cats that stayed home all the time lived longer and were healthier than those that went out more often.

Hunting is a dangerous business; cats don't always win, and cats that go outside can get into very dangerous situations if they find the wrong prey.

They can also contract deadly diseases and parasites from their prey, which means your cat can bring fleas, ticks, or rabies virus along with those torn-up mice.

There are also many artificial dangers in the outside world. Cars are one of the top causes of cat deaths outdoors because cats always suddenly and quickly appear in driveways, which is very dangerous.

The American Veterinary Medical Association strongly recommends keeping cats indoors for their safety and to protect the local ecosystem.