Can cats eat insects?
Everyone who keeps cats at home knows that cats are omnivores. Although their staple food is cat products such as meat cat food, they also eat some vegetables and fruits to supplement the necessary vitamins. But you may find that the cat sometimes grabs some insects to eat. At this time, do you wonder what effect the cat eating insects will have on the cat's health? Let's take a look.
We all know that cats are far less domesticated than canines, so these cats can't help but grab them when they see flying bugs - it's like seeing a fried chicken leg hovering in the air. Cats are born to catch bugs, and they will eat them. In addition to bugs, they will occasionally catch some small animals such as geckos and spiders as food.
Hunting down bugs is a lot more fun than sensitive snake cat toys with a feather attached to it or a ball with a bell attached to it. Compared with the performance of insects struggling to save their lives, these cat toys are difficult to communicate with the "deep soul" of cats, so it is not surprising that cats have a soft spot for hunting insects. But wouldn't this be detrimental to the cat's health?
When ingesting insects, parasites in their bodies are not a big problem, and the risk of cats eating insects is very small. Some insect parasites can infect cats, such as alveolar nematodes, stomach worms, etc., but such cases are rare.
In addition, the worms themselves may irritate the cat's gastrointestinal tract, usually manifesting as vomiting, diarrhea, or both. If the symptoms are severe or do not go away on their own within a day or two, please contact your veterinarian promptly and give your cat some cat products for gastrointestinal medicine as soon as possible.
More of a problem with cats eating insects is on the cat's fur. Some bugs live on a cat's fur and can become a serious problem. Fleas can carry tapeworms, or make cats anemic. While not strictly insects, ticks can transmit several diseases between animals and humans. A bee or spider bite is sure to cause a local allergic reaction, which often requires a veterinarian to treat.
As long as the cat eats insects that are edible and safe, there is no risk to your cat's health or yours. You can also buy some cat products such as cat food with insect nutrients to help your cat get a balanced nutrition.
