As previously stated, the cat's usefulness as a hunting animal was evident only to those people who fount rodents, reptiles and insects palatable. Enhancing its utility involved getting over the hurdle presented by the cat's own choice of prey and directing its predatory instincts. There were early attempts to use the cat in the manner of falcons in falconry. [illustration] The efforts were not entirely successful as the cat would tend to fall off when the falconer rode at full speed, and if firmly attached, could not readily be dislodged. When allowed to leap off, unlike the falcon, they tended simply to wander off in search of feeble rats, other cats, and the odd lizard. It was finally discovered that the only way to use a cat in falconry effectively, as unlike the falcon it could not fly, was to get close enough to the desired prey and fling the cat at it. This immense discovery revived flingery in all its ramifications in Europe, now as a pastime for the medieval nobility.