Is there anything bad about my cat catching and fully eating a wild mouse?

Question

hes always been a pampered indoor cat who is served tins and stuff by us he doesnt usually hunt. Lately he has started to hunt mouse and cockroaches and stuff. will this make him a little bloodthirsty and cause him to hunt for birds when he never used to show interest and if he is eating them will it make him sick or is it unhygenic or anything?

Answer 1

Nothing much, it should be fine and mice are healthier than commercial cat foods.

If the mice had fleas that carry tapeworms then your cat could get tapeworms.  There may be other worms he could get too, but in general mice are good for him and roaches aren't going to hurt.  Keep him up to date on his shots and checkups and bring a stool sample when you take him for checkups so they can test for worms.  But it's not a big deal and he's getting good nutrients naturally.  

Cats are meant to eat raw, whole animals.  Their digestive systems are set up to handle it. He could get diarrhea from adding a new food to his routine, but that's the same as if you changed his cat food and only a problem if it doesn't stop on it's own after a few days.

Answer 2

it can harm your cat if the animal that he eats has a disease, but that can be easily treated. Just make sure he has his shots for West Nile Virus that can be in birds. It is just his natural instinct to hunt. Hope i helped!

Answer 3

He can pick up tapeworms from eating mice, but that's fairly easily treated.  One of mine has hunted (and eaten) mice and birds for years with no ill effects.  I try to save the birds from him and sometimes I'm successful, but not always.  Cats are predators by nature.

Answer 4

Animals can carry diseases or may have ingested poison bate that can be spread to the cat if the cat eats it, so you should try to discourage this behavior, not sure how you would go about this though, maybe phone your vet for some tips? Best of luck!

Answer 5

He is just hunting; it's a natural instinct. His body won't break down or anything. If you're worried about disease take him in for a checkup every 6 -8 months and let the vet know about your concerns.

Answer 6

No it wouldn't make your cat sick. Otherwise all animals who hunt and eat other animals will get sick and die.

Answer 7

He'll be fine as long as the mouse hadn't eaten rat poison, which is unlikely.

Cats in the wild do that all the time, it's part of the cycle of life.

Just make sure he's wormed regularly and up to date with all his vaccinations and your little man should become a wonderful part of nature's food chain. If it bothers you get a collar with a bell or two on it.

***The downside of all this is the hunting instinct MAY cause him to stray further from home than he normally would.

Answer 8

my cats do it all the time and they are fine! its in there nature to hunt so i dont think u have anything to worry about!

Answer 9

If he's catching anything wild and eating it on a regular basis, you should give him a worming tablet once a month, otherwise he might get worms.

Answer 10

Cats aren't people.  Their digestive system and immune system can handle it otherwise they would not have survived a million years like they have.  It is only doing what is natural for it.  You may want to refrain from it l*****g your face though.  Eww.

Answer 11

Nope I think most cats find a way to get their hands on a mouse/bird some way or another. It's in their nature to hunt, so aside from it maybe being rather repulsive for you to watch it there isn't anything wrong with a cat getting a mouse or bird every now and again.  

Answer 12

it depends on what type your cat is and if its not the right type it could get a sick

Answer 13

I doubt it but it is in his nature to hunt.

Answer 14

No this is what cats do,ours do this all the time! Often they will leave it by the back door! Gross! But they do it,for fun/food its a cats instincts to do this even if they are full.It keeps the wild rat population down for us(poor ratties!) No it won't make him unhygenic or sick just make sure you keep up his worming doses each month,theres nothing you can do unless you trap him in the house,which would be cruel.

I bet he loves it! Yes & he sounds spoilt! So hes not in need of food,some cats differ,cats we used to have that have passed away were,some would hunt others wouldn't the 2 we have at the moment sort of do,well its mice and shews they hunt not rats!

Hope this helps. x*x