If you think of things that just go with cats, you probably think of cats and dogs, cats and mice. Cats are best known as mousecatchers, and people often keep cats for this very purpose (they are often called "barn cats" or "mousecatchers").
In the wild, mice and other small rodents are a major source of food for cats because they contain a lot of taurine, which cats need to stay healthy. But even house cats hunt mice (or anything that looks like a mouse, like a hand moving quickly under the covers!)
If you've caught your cat eating mice, you're probably wondering if it's safe, do cats eat mice whole, or if you should be wary of finding scattered carcasses.
The short answer to both questions is that cats can eat mice, but you will want to do something to keep your cat healthy and safe. Cats usually eat mice whole, although they leave behind small pieces such as the stomach, since the stomach is part of the digestive system and does not contain anything useful to cats. And sometimes cats try to “share” their prey with you!
Interesting process
This cute, fluffy, affectionate creature is a natural enemy of field mice, house mice, and rats.
Pests cannot even stand the smell of cats; they avoid their property and fear for their lives. In cats, the huntress instinct is genetically embedded. Even when well-fed, she will not miss the moment to chase a mouse that suddenly appears. The process itself gives pleasure - to catch, not to miss. But whether to kill, eat or not depends on other factors.
Interesting!
A study was conducted in the USA. They crossed purebred cats and yard cats with one cat. The kittens were swapped after they were born. Purebred cats were raised by yard cats. As a result, it turned out that everyone had developed hunting skills. Mothers regularly brought small rodents to their kittens. But further actions were different. The yard worker killed in cold blood, showed how it should be done to the kittens, and gave them to them to eat. The thoroughbred was limited to playing. The conclusion followed was that in order for kittens to start catching mice and eating them, an example is needed. Instinct alone is not enough; skills are also required.
Living toy
With adequate nutrition, the animal is protected from the need to obtain food and a source of microelements. But everyone loves to play. Be it a ball, a ball of thread or regular paper. It's more interesting to play with a moving object. Therefore, the mouse acts not only to satisfy hunger, but also as an opportunity to have fun. The animal catches up, throws it, presses it with its paw or squeezes the mouse with its teeth. At the same time, he does not seek to kill, but waits for the opportunity to start the chase again. As a result, the victim dies and the attacker loses interest.
Are you a toy or food?
This behavior is observed in relation to field mice - shrews. The cat catches and plays, but will never eat them. Firstly, representatives with narrow muzzles only look like rodents in appearance, but they are classified as moles. Secondly, their aroma is unpleasant. The glands on the front legs emit a musky odor that does not impress the hunter. This is why cats don't eat field mice.
Why does a cat eat mice?
Owners of mouse-cats notice that the latter do not always eat the whole mouse, often being content with its head. The explanation is simple - in the brain of rodents there is a lot of taurine, which enters the cat's body during meals. By the way, mass ailments among domestic cats began after the appearance of the first batches of factory-made food in Europe and the USA, when cats stopped catching mice, as they were forcibly transferred to ready-made diets.
Important! The trio of sulfonic acids (cysteine, cystine and methionine), which support cat health, are also responsible for the quantity/quality of fur, stimulating its growth. It is possible that the cat also realizes the benefits of mouse skin, saturated with the original element, sulfur, which is why it eats the mouse completely and along with the fur.
After some time, the cats began to get sick more, lose their eyesight and suffer from heart disease . After a series of studies, it turned out that the body of cats (unlike dogs) is not able to synthesize taurine from protein foods. Taurine is not for nothing called a sulfonic acid or sulfur-containing amino acid - it is not formed in the body without cysteine (another sulfur-containing amino acid).
Principles of healthy eating
Biologists and doctors know that any amino acid performs two related functions - it supplies building material to protein chains and supplies the body with energy. Often animals need amino acids from outside, since they are not able to produce them themselves . Such amino acids are called essential. In cats, this is taurine - it is not produced in the body, but is responsible for the performance of its main organs.
Zoologists have found that the highest concentration of taurine is found in the retina of a cat's eye (100 times more than in the blood). This is why taurine deficiency primarily affects vision: the retina degenerates, and the animal quickly and irreversibly goes blind.
In addition, taurine takes care of the heart muscle, where it accounts for half of all free amino acids. Taurine regulates the transport (from and inside the cell) of calcium ions, facilitating heart contractions. A lack of amino acids immediately affects the activity of the cardiovascular system, causing such a terrible disease as dilated cardiomyopathy.
Important! Whatever your cat’s diet (natural or made from industrial food), the main thing you must ensure is the presence of taurine in it.
Taurine, recognized as an effective antioxidant, has a number of additional, but no less important tasks:
- regulation of the nervous system;
- formation of active immunity;
- normalization of blood clotting;
- maintaining reproductive functions;
- synthesis of bile salts, without which fats in the small intestine are not digested.
"Atrocious" problems
Cats themselves are very likely to “pick up” fleas (blood-sucking parasites that also serve as carriers of helminthiasis), helminths (worms) and protozoa from mice. A person can also suffer from them, but if hygiene rules are followed, this happens extremely rarely.
Another specific, incurable and difficult to diagnose disease is trichinosis. It is caused by helminths from the group of nematodes that parasitize the intestines. Their larvae infect muscles, penetrating the tissue and destroying it. A cat becomes infected by eating meat, including rodents. The disease is also dangerous for people, but it is not transmitted from cats - only through food.
Poisoning also occurs in hunting cats. Their strength depends on the dose and type of poison that enters the body. Most often, poisoning manifests itself as mild gastrointestinal disorders, which can be treated with any absorbent drug. But there are also severe cases when the cat’s internal organs (kidneys, liver) are affected, acute diarrhea with blood, lethargy, and refusal to eat begin. In such cases, delay is extremely dangerous; it is necessary to show your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Reasons for behavior
Most often, owners who let their pet outside the premises are faced with the fact that a corpse or half the carcass of a bird or mouse appears in an apartment, country house or dacha. Often, potential cat prey will wander into a city apartment and, having been caught by a furry homebody, will appear on the rug, on the floor, or even in the owner’s bed.
Having discovered a trophy that is valuable from the pet’s point of view in his home, the owner, as a rule, is interested in why cats bring their prey to their owners. There are many guesses about this phenomenon, including incorrect ones.
Some owners mistakenly believe that in this way the pet expresses gratitude for the good attitude towards him, a well-fed and calm life. Others naively believe that signs of attention in the form of the carcass of a caught mouse are a manifestation of love and care for the owner on the part of the cat. However, such explanations do not fully correspond to the motives that prompt the animal to carry a bird or rodent that was caught with difficulty into the owner’s house.
To understand this issue, you must first understand why a well-fed and satisfied pet goes hunting, what prompts the animal to chase a gray mouse with a full bowl of treats?
I bring everything I own home
Of course, the reason for the hunting passion of furry beauties is a strong natural instinct. It is he who pushes even a well-fed domestic cat to an ancient activity - hunting. Being representatives of a large cat family, the pets living with us have not lost the skills of a successful hunter over the centuries of domestication. That is why, even if the bowl is full of the most delicious meat, a domestic cat will not miss the opportunity to hunt a bird or rodent.
The reason that motivates a cat to share its prey with its owner is also based on the instincts laid down by Mother Nature. Zoological scientists put forward several explanations for this behavior of animals, based on scientific data - zoopsychology.
According to one version, the cat, being a territorial animal, is highly dependent on the environment and the room where it grew up and is constantly located. In modern conditions, for a pet, this territory is an apartment, a country house in which it lives. The reason that prompts the animal to bring its prey into the house is often precisely the territorial instinct.
The animal feels that in an alien environment (on the street, in a park, in a garden) the prey can be lost, so it tries to take its trophy to a safe territory that is familiar to it. Being well-fed, not every cat will eat a rodent. Many animals limit themselves only to the excitement of hunting and bring prey to their home.
A killed trophy located on the territory is regarded as a kind of mark for potential enemies. The animal thus shows that this space belongs to it, and all enemies will suffer the fate of prey.
Gift for a friend
Another version of zoologists about why cats bring prey to their owner sounds no less plausible. According to scientists, this behavior of furry pets is due to the fact that a person is the owner, the master, and is perceived by many individuals as a relative.
In the wild, representatives of the cat family often live in families - prides, where there are several mothers raising children. Other members in such a family hunt and bring prey to nursing cats. Owners often become eyewitnesses when a cat father brings a mouse or a bird to a new mother with kittens.
When a cat shares its trophy with its owner, it demonstrates one of the models of such a cat family. According to the pet, the owner is not able to obtain adequate food for himself, and she takes upon herself the responsibility of supplying the family member with provisions.
We recommend reading about why a cat shits on the bed. You will learn about the main reasons for this behavior, the group of animals that most often do this kind of mischief, and methods of influencing a cat. And here is more information about how to stop a cat from tearing up furniture and wallpaper.
Home owner
Do not forget that cats become attached not to the owner, but to the place. In order to show who is boss, they often bring home prey and place it throughout the territory. This is how the cat proves that this territory belongs to her and she can protect it at any time.
Help from mom
One of the reasons why a cat brings mice to its owner is the manifestation of maternal instinct. Especially often the owner is “treated” to his trophy by females with developed maternal feelings. In this case, the animal perceives the person as an object in need of care.
You can often observe the following picture: a cat not only brought a half-dead mouse into the house, but is also trying to “teach” its stupid owner how to hunt it. In this case, the caught prey is regarded as a “teaching tool” for a careless family member who does not know how to catch normal food.
This phenomenon is typical for both unsterilized cats and operated animals. Unable to realize their maternal program, sterilized pets turn all their energy, attention and love to the owner.
Trophy
Some animals bring in prey for collection. Their natural instinct is satisfied, the rodent is caught, the prey is at the mercy of the predator. But why eat it if the house is full of all kinds of delicious things? Let the mouse lie down for a while and then run about its business.
Token of gratitude
Many zoologists and experts in the field of animal psychology believe that the demonstration of hunting achievements in the form of mice, birds and other living creatures brought into the house or even onto the owner’s bed is associated with a feeling of the need to confirm one’s importance for the owner. The pet expresses its gratitude for the food provided to it in such an extravagant way, from the human point of view, and shares its trophy.
The ambiguity of the scientific interpretation of animals demonstrating their hunting victories indicates the versatility of behavioral instincts in cats. The owner’s task is to observe, be attentive and take an interest in the lives of his furry beauties.
To learn why cats carry their prey home, watch this video:
I don't brag, I care
Sometimes cats bring trophies to their owners. We often humanize our pets and attribute a desire to show off their dexterity and importance. But zoologists have figured out why cats bring prey to their owners. This is how they show they care. The fact that the owner does not eat mice is regarded as an inability to catch them. They bring him not only food, but also a study guide. At least, such care for the flock has been ingrained in animals for a long time. Don’t even think about screaming when you see a rodent or throwing it away demonstratively. Better to praise and stroke. And when you send the victim to the trash bin, do not contact him. It’s unclear where this poor fellow came from.
And in this video you can see how a small cat has already caught a mouse.
How to react to the owner
Having understood the reasons why the cat brings mice to the owner, it is necessary to develop the correct behavior in such a situation. First of all, you should not scold or show negative emotions at the sight of a dead bird or mouse, as if
the spectacle did not look terrible.
If a pet, which had the best intentions of feeding or teaching its owner to hunt, is scolded, punished or shown displeasure, this can cause a feeling of mistrust and alienation in the animal.
If you find a dead rodent, bird or other trophy in your home, household members should not panic. As a rule, the prey is already dead and poses no threat. If a hunting trophy shows signs of life, then measures must be taken to kill it safely.
In order not to offend your pet with your inattention, you should thank the animal for the trust shown, caress it and, if possible, remove it to another room. The carcass must be placed in a plastic bag and, sealed tightly, thrown into a trash can. You must wear gloves and then wash your hands thoroughly with soap. The cat should not be present during this manipulation, otherwise it will lose trust and disposition towards its beloved owner.
Diet disorder?
If the cat is on treatment or on a diet (for example, with kidney disease), then an eaten mouse or bird can negatively affect the treatment and the well-being of the cat itself. And if an infection or parasite gets into the body weakened by the disease, then the sick cat will not be able to fight it and will be more likely to become infected than its absolutely healthy brother.
Main breeds of rat catchers
Independent hunters are representatives of the Russian Blue breed. They become attached to only one owner, whom they are ready to protect from rodents. Athletic athletes - Chartreux cats - have a beautiful athletic physique, which helps in catching rats and mice.
Maine Coon
This ratcatcher cat is the largest breed; it is an intelligent and selective animal - a good hunter. The Maine Coon reacts with lightning speed to a rodent, and its powerful body and dexterous movements leave no chance for rats and mice. At the same time, he is a sweet and gentle creature who will purr with pleasure in his owner’s ear.
Siberian
The Siberian cat rarely becomes attached to humans, perhaps it has the “wild” blood of its ancestors. This balanced and powerful animal is considered the best rat hunter. Freedom is very important for an obstinate pet; the cat wants to walk outside from time to time. The Siberian cat is capable of developing great speed in running and jumping well. In addition, the animal has an excellent reaction.
European
The cat was common in ancient Rome. She copes well with the duties of a rat catcher. Each representative of this breed is an individual. The animal has a silver marbled or gray color.
Kurilian Bobtail
The animal was brought to us from the Kuril Islands. By their nature, the fluffies of this breed are similar to dogs. The little kitten quickly becomes attached to its owner and tries to take care of him.
Cats can not only deal with a rat, but also drive away a small dog that has entered their territory.
The Kurilian Bobtail has a small tail. The cat has elongated and powerful hind limbs, which allow him to jump and develop great speed while running. The Bobtail can cope with any rat's home.
Siamese
Humans have nothing to do with the breeding of this breed. Siamese cats are fast and graceful. They have a very well developed hunting instinct.
Satisfying the hunting instinct
Even the cutest and fluffiest kitten once played the role of a hunter and predator in nature. After people domesticated cats and began using them as pets, they no longer needed to hunt for food. However, instinct periodically takes over and requires its manifestation in domesticated conditions.
Even if a cat’s body does not lack any elements to maintain health, hunting for mice is its natural need, a reflex that cannot be restrained. Catching mice is not just the job of barn cats. Many purebred kittens living in greenhouse conditions, once they see a mouse, will definitely chase it. But whether they eat their prey for lunch or not depends on whether they are tormented by hunger.
How to raise a hunter?
Some people wonder why a pet, even of the “right” breed, does not catch rodents. For a kitten to become a rat catcher, it must be raised correctly. It is important that his mother herself is a rat catcher and instills in the baby the necessary skills.
If you adhere to certain rules, you will definitely raise a good hunter:
- Encourage the hunting instinct in your baby - praise the animal if it has caught prey.
- Don't starve the animal. Otherwise, the cat will run away or start stealing food from neighbors, collecting in trash cans, and not catching the rat.
- Your pet should be fed in small portions several times a day. The bowl of food should not be left standing all the time.
- The rat catcher should be vaccinated against rabies. If a rat has injured an animal, contact a veterinarian immediately.
Raising a rat catcher on your own is problematic; for this reason, you should not take the kitten away from its mother early. The optimal age is 4–5 months.
Predator on the hunt
Domestic purrs are predators. This means that the desire to catch and eat prey is inherent at the genetic level. Rat traps are especially prone to this. Kittens next to their mother learn to wash themselves and absorb her habits. The kids in the yard are watching the hunt; in a few months they will be able to catch a mouse on their own.
Our service is both dangerous and difficult
- nervous system,
- immunity,
- reproductive system.
When choosing a professional food, make sure it contains taurine.
Mice in the diet - harm or benefit
Rodents are as beneficial as they are harmful to cats, at least according to veterinarians who are concerned about the “bouquet” of diseases transmitted by the former. It is believed that mice (like rats) are carriers of infectious diseases that are dangerous both for the pets themselves and for their owners.
The list of such diseases includes:
- trichinosis - difficult to treat and caused by helminths that parasitize the intestines (larvae penetrate muscle tissue and destroy it);
- ringworm ( ringworm ) is a fungal infection that affects the appearance of the coat/skin. The therapy is simple but long-lasting;
- leptospirosis - affects various organs and is accompanied by fever. A cat becomes infected through contaminated water, eating mice or coming into contact with their secretions;
- toxoplasmosis is dangerous for pregnant women and is often asymptomatic. About 50% of rodents are considered carriers of the disease;
- salmonellosis is an acute intestinal infection that threatens humans and animals;
- tularemia , pseudotuberculosis and others.
Hypothetically, a cat that eats mice could become infected with rabies, but this probability is reduced to zero if the animal is vaccinated. The second thing that should reassure the owner is that the virus is transmitted through saliva, that is, the mouse must injure the cat.
Important! Those who live in private homes and keep rat-catching cats say that their animals hunt rat mice for many years, avoiding any infectious diseases. Several generations of cats live to a ripe old age, enriching their daily diet with rodents without tragic consequences for health.
A cat is more likely to be poisoned if it tastes a mouse that has died from the poison used in deratization. If the poisoning is mild, you can get by with pharmaceutical absorbents; in case of severe poisoning (vomiting, diarrhea with blood, liver/kidney failure), call a doctor immediately. Also, when in close contact with rodents, pampered domestic cats often pick up fleas or helminths.
Disadvantages of eating rodents
Hunting for a mouse
Can a cat eat mice? It sounds strange. These are two components of one chain. Cats should eat rodents in the wild, live indoors, but be outdoors frequently. In modern conditions, there are several risks from which pets should be protected.
- Cats should not be allowed to eat mice if there is a risk of poisoning. If neighbors use poison to control rodents, the cat receives a dose of mouse poison.
- The hunter should regularly receive medications against helminths, fleas, and ticks. Rodents are the main distributors of parasites. The pet must be protected.
- All routine vaccinations are required. Mice spread many terrible diseases. Some of them are transmitted to humans through pets after contact with a mouse.
A cat brings prey into the house for several reasons - to brag about its achievement to its owners, to “feed” them, to hide them from barn cats, to eat them later, as a reserve for a rainy day.
Cats eat mice, but not all of them. This requires not only hunting instincts, but also certain living conditions. Yard kittens are capable of conducting the most brutal hunt for rodents already at 5 months of age.
What is a cat for?
If you have mice or rats in your home, the best way to get rid of them is to buy mousetraps. But some owners of summer cottages do not find much pleasure in removing the bloody corpses of rodents from these structures. And various poisoned baits that mice eat will become a huge problem due to the fact that the poisoned mouse will die somewhere under the floor, and the unpleasant smell of a decomposing body will begin to spread throughout the house. In order to avoid all these troubles, you need to take home a cat or kitten that can be taught to hunt rodents.
Safety regulations
If your pet lives in a private house where there are mice, and the likelihood of eating rodents is high, certain safety rules must be followed. First of all, this concerns vaccinating your pet against various infectious diseases transmitted by rodents. Vaccination should not be a one-time event. To protect your cat, it is important to follow the vaccination schedule and regularly take your animal for vaccinations.
The second safety rule concerns the use of various chemical agents to combat mice. Eating poisoned mouse meat, as already indicated, can result in severe poisoning and death for the cat.
If a cat actively demonstrates its hunting instinct towards rodents, it is prohibited to use poison with heavy chemical components. It's better to set mousetraps. They may not be as effective as spilled poison, but with mousetraps you don’t have to worry about the health and life of your pet.
What are the good things about mestizos?
Yes, mestizos do not have a pedigree and cannot win prizes at exhibitions, but they will be your faithful and devoted friend. Unlike their pedigree relatives, they have better health, stronger immunity, and are less susceptible to disease. Even by external appearance, they can be huge handsome men, with a chic tail and great weight. Their character is much softer, calmer, and more flexible than that of their relatives. Even if their direct relative is a Siamese cat, a mixed breed will never take revenge like a Siamese. Metis understand everything perfectly and can be trained.
When choosing a pet, you need to listen to yourself. A kitten may have no breed at all, but you can fall in love with it at first sight. And you won't regret it. Such animals will fully give you their love and devotion and will be faithful and loving companions.
Potential Hazards
Is it safe for a cat to indulge in hunting? Not as much as you would like.
Rats, often the prey of cats, are carriers of diseases such as rabies and distemper; they can also be intermediate hosts of fleas and ticks, which are often carriers of piroplasmosis and encephalitis. Birds often carry subcutaneous mites and fungal infections. In addition, street animals can “give” worms to your pet. In cities, rodents are periodically poisoned with rat poison, which, when it enters the cat’s body, kills it.
Owners have phobias of rodents and birds. Phobias should not be confused with fears. The former make a person lose control of himself and cause many unpleasant emotions and problems. If the owner has such deviations, the cat that brought a “gift” into the house may be given to someone else or even thrown out into the street.
There are, of course, indirect dangers. On the street, a cat can be hit by a car, chewed by a dog or another cat, or a pet can run into evil people. The latter is especially true if the cat decides to plunder someone’s chicken coop.
Gender question
Cat or cat? Which one is the best hunter? If you need to choose an animal to catch rodents based on gender, then the answer is obvious - it’s a cat. By nature, she must obtain food for her cubs. And cats are looking for someone to conceive. Although if they are castrated, they begin to hunt more productively.
Experts do not recommend keeping two cats on a farm at once without castration. They will be constantly busy dividing the territory. Hunting will not bother them.
A cat that has undergone sterilization is much more effective at catching mice in the yard and in the house. But there is a minus here - she is deprived of the opportunity to bear children, that is, new generations of hunters.
Unhealthy food
Cat owners, especially people living in private properties and houses, rejoice when their pets start hunting for mice - pests of the household, and do not find anything wrong with the fact that the hunter decided to feast on his trophy. On the one hand, eating mice is natural for cats, on the other hand, such a lunch or dinner can turn into a huge problem for the animal, and often for the owner himself.
