[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Negative. I have been out in fields and farms and seeing farm cats play with mice in front of my eyes, torturing them while they are alive. Farm cats seem to be even more adept at this than house cats. They are playing. Playing is fun because it is hard wired into animal brains (and humans) from evolution for hunting/killing skills as well as natural curiosity.

Many people believe that cats play with the small animals they hunt for fun, but this is not the case. Cats have an instinct to play with their prey because it’s the only way they can make a kill without risking injury.

Why Cats Play with Rodents and Birds

Cats kill their prey by delivering a neck bite that severs the spinal cord. To do this, they must temporarily release the prey to get at the nape of the neck, but when they do so, they risk the prey escaping or counterattacking. Small animals will defend themselves if they get the chance. Mice, rats, and other rodents can deliver a vicious bite, and birds can peck. A cat has a very short muzzle, and to get close enough to apply the neck bite, she risks injury to her eyes and face from the prey.
A cat will “play” with her prey to tire it out in order to reduce the risk of injury to herself, but she is not actually playing in the human sense. She is simply doing the job that her instincts tell her she must do in order not to starve, and protecting herself in the process. If the prey is lively, the cat could suffer a serious bite that might become infected and lead to death. Only when the prey is sufficiently tired and dazed is the cat able to make the kill.
Sometimes a cat will appear to lose interest when the prey becomes still but then leap upon it as soon as it moves. This gives the appearance that the cat is toying with the poor creature, but this is just the cat’s way of ensuring that the prey is sufficiently dazed to safely finish it off. If she attempts to finish things too quickly, she could risk failure or serious injury.
Why Cats Bring Home Live Prey

Many cats bring dead animals home as “gifts” for their loved ones, but some also bring in live prey to present to their owners, much in the way they would for their kittens to let them practice their hunting skills. A cat who brings live prey to her owner may believe that her human companion would appreciate the opportunity to practice these valuable skills.

http://cats.suite101.com/article.cfm...ith_their_prey