#1. Why Cockroaches Disappear
1. Cats Catch Them
When you raise a cat, the number of cockroaches at home
may indeed decrease or they may disappear completely.
This is because cats, who are natural predators of roaches,
hunt them.
However, if a cat is scared of cockroaches
or does not hunt them,
then the number of roaches will remain the same
even with the cat around.
2. They Avoid Cats
Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan
conducted an experiment on cockroaches
which was similar to that of Pavlov’s classical conditioning study on dogs.
(*Watanabe, H., & Mizunami, M. (2007). Pavlov's cockroach: classical conditioning of salivation in an insect.)
Researchers divided cockroaches into two groups.
One group was given sucrose solution paired with an odor,
while the other group received sucrose solution without any odor.
As a result, the group of roaches that were given the sucrose-associated odor
displayed an increase in salivation just from smelling the odor,
providing evidence that they are capable of memory and learning.
Since cockroaches have learning ability,
they may avoid cats
as they perceive cats to be threatening creatures.
#2 Why Cats Give The Prey To The Owner
1. “You should practice”
For cats, true independence is achieved
when they are able to hunt on their own.
Therefore, if they think of their owner
as a baby kitten who is not that good at hunting,
they may bring cockroaches as prey
so that the owner can practice catching it.
2. “I want to show off”
Cats sometimes want to
show off their hunting skills.
Therefore, when they have successfully caught something,
they may show it off,
seeking to get praise from their owner.
3. “It’s a gift”
Cats may give the hunted items
as gifts to the owner.
When this happens, for the sake of a trusting relationship with your cats,
you should first gently praise them
and get rid of the “gift” when they’re not around.