Why do animal predators lose focus before and during a strike? (details inside)

I don’t think they do. You are anthropomorphizing what you are observing.

Predators are highly attuned to environmental factors that most people cannot discern, such as other odors, shifts in the breeze, threatening or distracting movements on the periphery. But watching a predator complete an attack shows them focused all the way through.

Not every hunt is successful for a predator on top of what @zenvelo said.
This is why the big cats are designed to gorge on a kill and then may not eat again for days.

If that is really what they do, I’d say eye protection.

They’re probably making sure no other animals are a threat.

I like all answers so far. I’m going to delve a little further into @kritiper ‘s response about eyes. Lots of predators have “3rd eyelids.” It is a protective membrane that covers the animals eyes when biting. When the animal’s face, and eyes are in most danger. The 3rd eyelids of most animals are not really transparent. The thick membrane is usually too thick to see through. So. At the moment the predator bites, for a kill, it is essentially biting blind.

This phenomenon is most easily observed in a slow motion great white, or other shark bite. The experience seems to be similar in most species of animals that have the 3rd eyelid…

So. When biting, the animal temporarily loses sight. Then , involuntarily, they regain sight. So, a quick recalibration, is required, following the new visual information.

In regards to snakes, they cannot blink. No eyelids. Such animals are extremely “head shy.” Their instinct says “protect your eyes, we can’t cover them in the slightest.” So, these animals will dart their heads quickly, perhaps appearing confused, when going in for the kill. Lots of animals will instinctively try to injur an attacker’s eyes. If you’ve ever worked with wild birds, as I used to, you know to hold most birds at arms length. An Egret, or Herron will go straight for your eyes.

In conclusion, I would say that what you’re observing, is a combination of hypersensitivity, adrenaline, and voluntary/involuntary reactions related to eye protection….

I remember shooting and wounding a jack rabbit once. My German Shepherd went in for the kill and as he bit down, crushing the rabbit’s ribcage, he closed his eyes tightly.

^Yup. Dog’s have 3rd eyelids too. When we worked on anesthetized dogs, their 3rd eyelid would come up…

Picture

^Ah. Well, cats tend to “play with” smaller animals. If they were human, it could be described as sadistic behavior. It is entertained by it’s victim’s struggling. Often, the animal eventually dies, and the cat will lose interest, and move on. Almost all cat species exhibit this behavior. The lion is bored with it’s victim, not losing focus…

@MrGrimm888 Why couldn’t it be that they just enjoy playing? Why does it have to be they are entertained by the victim’s struggling?

^Just seems like an obvious observation. Have you ever seen a cat, of any type, “play” with a victim?

They hurt/injur it,until it stops moving. Often times, letting it try to get away,then hurting,or disabling it.If it starts again, they hurt it again. When it finally appears dead, they lose interest, and move on.

Watching otters, dogs, crows. Bears, and other animals playing, there is a clear difference.

Domestic cats have toys that owners use. But most toys focus on the cat’s predator drive. Feathers on a stick, mice, laser pointers,crinkling paper etc, all engage the cat’s instinctive predator drive. It’s one of the reasons cats are so often kept around dwellings. Also one of the reasons why nature conservation groups are looking into possibly banning outdoor cats , in some places. “Outdoor” cats kill every bird, rat, mouse, squirrel, insect , or any animal they can. Usually, just to “play” with the animals.

Some larger cats will keep a prey animal alive, to teach their young how to kill. It depends on the species.