Cats love cockroaches.
If your favorite furry friend seems to be acting a bit strangely, it might mean he might’ve caught a cockroach recently. However, it’s essential to know you can first try a natural way to deter them.
So, do cats eat cockroaches? Well, the answer mostly depends on the breed of cat you own and the temperament of the individual cat itself.
Feathered cats like sphinx cats usually love catching and eating bugs like grasshoppers. However, cats which are more carnivorous like Persian cats typically like to catch mice and rats more than insects.
Do Cats Eat Cockroaches?
It’s quite likely that a kitten might catch and eat a cockroach or two while growing up.
It’s quite likely that a kitten might catch and eat a cockroach or two while growing up. If your cat catches a cockroach and eats it, don’t panic and assume he’s sick or has worms.
Cats are natural predators who catch and eat insects all the time as a normal part of their diet. So, if your cat catches a cockroach and eats it, don’t panic and assume he’s sick or has worms.
Cats are natural predators who catch and eat insects all the time as a normal part of their diet. Cats are known for their relentless and protective instincts.
Their quickness is the only thing which can adequately cope with a fast-moving rat or a mouse.
Do Cats Kill Cockroaches?
A cat’s hunting instincts can be incredible to watch and they can be great little hunters and protectors of household pests.
There have been no scientific studies on the effectiveness of cats as pest control agents, but anecdotal evidence suggests that they can be very effective at controlling populations of small insects and rodents, like cockroaches and mice.
Is it Safe for Cats to Eat Cockroaches?
Although roaches aren’t the most well-known sources of food, there are benefits to eating roaches for cats.
Cats frequently consume roaches with no ill effect, but roaches can transmit harmful bacteria and viruses that can cause health problems in cats.
Chewing through the thick outer peel is difficult for a cat and may result in a stomach upset.
Bacteria And Parasites
cockroach’s are unsightly and disgusting, but did you know that they sometimes have bacteria and parasites on their body which help the cockroaches survive.
They scurry through waste bins and other unsanitary areas and can be present in homes, restaurants or workplaces.
They are, however, able to transmit harmful germs and bacteria that will affect your cat.
If they eat one, the bacteria and parasites may make your cat sick or even infect you with an illness!
If your cat eats a cockroach, the most common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever or loss of appetite.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your cat, take your cat to the vet as soon as possible.
If you brought a pet into your home from a breeder or a shelter, chances are that they brought some undesirable insects and diseases with them.
Poison
If the bug your cat ate was poisonous, it could cause more severe symptoms or even be deadly.
The chemicals that kill roaches are poisonous and can harm your cat if ingested.
Cats may get very ill if they eat a poisoned cockroach and often require emergency care from a veterinarian.
Gastrointestinal Disturbance
While the exoskeleton irritates the digestive tract of your pet, cockroaches can also carry roundworms which lodge in the cat’s small intestines and cause irritation and infection.
When large, rough exoskeleton fragments are ingested by cats it causes gastrointestinal disturbances and may lead to death if the cat develops massive vomiting and diarrhea.
Cockroaches are more likely found in the bathrooms and kitchens of our homes.
Choking Risk
The exoskeleton of a cockroach is extremely hard and can cause choking or suffocation if a large piece of it is swallowed by your pet.
Shards of this shell may get lodged in the throat causing difficulty breathing and swallowing resulting in choking or aspirating and aspiration pneumonia.
This is not only painful and hazardous to your cat’s health, it can cause permanent damage to their respiratory system.
It may also choke or cough up the bug’s body itself, which may result in drowning if swallowed.
Why Do Cats Eat Cockroaches?
The mouthparts of cats are especially designed for seizing and tearing apart insects for food.
When a cockroach is seen, your cat may instinctively try to capture it since they are a favorite food of cat and will eat anything that is moving around.
Cats are enticed by cockroaches for their odor when they are first released from their hiding places.
Is It True That Cats Keep Cockroaches at Bay?
Cats have been employed as pest control for years by pest control companies due to their natural hunting instincts and skills of catching and killing.
Several cat breeds have a natural instinct to dislike the smell of cockroaches, and thus will keep them away from their hiding places.
Larger creatures are seen by cats as prey, and so may view cockroaches as a larger predator and a threat to their survival.
If there was a persistent cat, cockroaches would quickly learn to avoid the area if caught in its claws or teeth.
This isn’t a sure thing, but your cat may perceive the roach as a threat and make an effort to drive it away.
In the presence of a cat, larger cockroaches will be more likely to flee and hide from the area in fear.
They may hide in the dark just chase a cockroach away by scratching it with their paws and teeth.
A cat may sometimes become obsessed in chasing a cockroach until it’s dead or wounded.
Can A Roach Poison Cats?
Contrary to popular perception, cockroaches are generally not harmful or poisonous to cats.
Contrary to their abrasive qualities, cockroaches do not contain any venom or poison in their saliva, so their bite isn’t a danger to humans or cats.
What To Do When Your Cat Eats A Cockroach?
It is vitally important to keep any home clean of any roach infestation.
Your cat will probably be alright, though it may occasionally experience an allergic reaction or diarrhea caused by the medication.
If you notice your cat coughing or vomiting, contact your vet immediately.
It would also assist if you did the following: Keep the house clean occupy your pets in safe locations like a cat cage or cat setter box buy a cat.
This might upset the cat and distract it from chasing the cockroach.
A large number of insects suggests the presence of food – either the insects have ingested food leftovers or they are breeding and storing food for times when they can’t find food.
Treat the infestation on your immediate surroundings and your home.
Also Read: Do Cats Eat Spiders?
Conclusion
So, do cats eat cockroaches?
They’re not fans of insects or rodents, so most cats won’t eat cockroach eggs or insects. However, some cats tend to like catching and eating cockroaches if they catch them.
So, if you’re wondering why your cat is acting strangely lately, it might just mean it ate a cockroach recently. So, it’s important that you first try a natural way to deter them first and see if that helps.
Otherwise, you might have to call the vet to check your cat out just in case it got food poisoning or a poor stomach reaction from eating the cockroach.
If you have cockroaches throughout your place, consult a professional exterminator since spraying or applying chemicals to the affected area alone isn’t going to end the problem.
Targeting their source is also recommended since cockroaches tend to breed and multiply quickly in large numbers making them hard to exterminate once they multiply to a certain level.
