Suppression of feeding but not killing of a prey species in the ringtail cat (Bassariscus astutus)

Abstract

Using a single-subject illness-induced aversion paradigm, a ringtail cat (Bassariscus astutus) was subjected to an induced illness from a lithium chloride (LiCl) injection after having attacked and eaten a mouse. Repeated mouse-LiCl pairings resulted in little change in attack latencies, but latencies to feed were greatly increased. A mouse-saline pairing, as well as a noncontingent induced illness, had no effect on latencies.