The fear of a Red-Tailed Hawk carrying off a domestic cat is a common anxiety, often amplified by sensationalized accounts. While an attack on a pet is possible, especially on very small kittens or vulnerable animals, it is a rare occurrence. The physical size and hunting strategy of the Red-Tailed Hawk make a healthy, adult cat an impractical target. The risk is skewed toward the smallest of pets, as these raptors avoid such large prey.
The Reality of the Red-Tailed Hawk Diet
The Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is an opportunistic predator, yet its diet is overwhelmingly focused on small mammals. Approximately 85 to 90% of a hawk’s sustenance comes from rodents such as mice, voles, gophers, and ground squirrels. These prey items offer a high caloric return for the effort expended.
The hawk’s hunting technique is optimized for these smaller targets, often involving scanning from an elevated perch before swooping down to seize the animal. Beyond rodents, the diet includes reptiles like snakes, small birds, and occasionally rabbits or hares. The hawk’s natural hunting strategy is geared toward prey that can be quickly dispatched and easily managed, which typically rules out a struggling feline.
Size and Weight Limitations
The physical dimensions of a Red-Tailed Hawk present a barrier to preying on an average-sized cat. These raptors typically weigh between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds (0.7 to 1.6 kilograms), with the larger females occasionally reaching up to 4 pounds. The average healthy domestic cat, in contrast, weighs substantially more, usually falling in the range of 8 to 12 pounds.
Hawks rarely attempt to carry prey that weighs more than their own body weight. Though a large female hawk might be able to lift a maximum of about 5 pounds, this capacity is insufficient for an average adult cat. For a raptor to successfully attack a cat, the animal would need to be a very small kitten or an extremely frail adult. The hawk would almost certainly have to consume the meal on the ground, leaving it vulnerable to other predators.
Protecting Pets from Aerial Predators
Pet owners should focus on supervising outdoor time, particularly for animals under 15 pounds, as this weight class is generally considered the threshold of potential risk from large raptors. Keeping small pets under direct observation is the most effective way to deter any aerial threat, as a hawk is far less likely to attempt an attack when a human is nearby.
Timing outdoor exposure can reduce risk, as Red-Tailed Hawks are often most active during the day, while large owls hunt during dawn and dusk. Keeping pets indoors during these transitional, lower-light periods minimizes exposure to a variety of predators. Creating covered spaces in a yard, such as a covered patio or a fully enclosed structure like a catio, provides a physical barrier and concealment from above.
Securing the surrounding environment can also make your property less attractive to raptors. Eliminating food sources that attract the hawk’s natural prey, such as securing trash cans and avoiding the outdoor feeding of birds or other wildlife, reduces the presence of raptors. For small dogs or cats that spend time outside, leashing or using protective vests made of cut-resistant materials offers an additional layer of safety.