They have located their prey and caught it. How is a predator to eat it? Loons swallow fish whole. Anteaters slurp up ants with no teeth to chew them. Both raptors and cats, however, have specialized utensils to slice into their meal.
Raptors have a unique hooked beak that can rip their prey into bite-sized pieces. A Red-Tailed Hawk might be able to swallow a mouse whole, but the hooked beak allows them to hunt larger animals as well. A rabbit might not fit down in one gulp, but the sharp beak will rip it easily into bite-sized pieces. Dissecting their prey also means they don't have to eat the unappetizing bits. Raptors are known for sometimes discarding their prey's digestive tract, which may be an adaptation for avoiding dangerous bacteria that can grow in intestines or feces. (I once found these leftovers from an owl's meal, which was amazing to see and a little gross at the same time!)
Cats also have a piercing weapon for devouring their meal. Four long canine teeth sink into their prey and deliver the killing bite. The quicker the kill the better; even a mouse can have a fierce bite back. Once dead, the cat's razor-sharp molars slice their meal like a knife.
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