Cats are fluffy, cute, and are little lions to whom a huge number of people show affection. Not only this but a lot of people would like to keep them as pets. And they like to feed them, play with them as pets.
However, playing keeps them healthy as well as active. Moreover, more people also like to feed street cats if they cannot afford to keep them as pets. However, being wild animals, their instincts keep them from hunting small rodents for food.
In addition, cats look forward to hunting any rodents, mice, chickens, frogs, insects, and even squirrels. Yes, if you wonder to know that do cats eat squirrels? Then Yes, your cute, furry lioness can eat squirrels.
As these cuddly, furry pets sometimes don’t keep themselves to hunt. And if there is a squirrel available in the yard, then surely, they would like to clean their hand on them.
So, if you are going to have a cat as a pet and would like to know about how cats eating squirrels or is it safe for them to eat squirrels? All such information you will find in this article.
Do Cats Eat Squirrels?
However, cat eating squirrels is not rare, but at the same time, it doesn’t happen often. As hunting, a squirrel depends upon different factors for cats. For example, it depends upon that either the cat is wild, domestic, or pet.
Because wild cats can hunt a squirrel more often as compared to domestic or pet cats. However, the reason behind this is the ability of hunting as domestic and pet cats are not that sharp in hunting as wild cats.
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Because, domestic cats can also get food sometimes without any effort, like scavenge through the trash. However, sometimes people also feed street cats, that’s why they don’t have to hunt often, and this affects their hunting ability as well.
Moreover, domestic and pet cats are smaller in size compare to wild cats. So their chances to hunt squirrels become low as squirrels are more sharp, fast, and having fierce claws.
That’s why to hunt a squirrel, and cats act as an opportunistic animal. When they get a chance to hunt them, they will surely do. In addition, mostly pet and domestic cats hunt baby squirrels as they are easy prey rather than an adult squirrel.
Is It Safe for Cats to Eat Squirrels?
For cats to hunt squirrels is not safe, and the following are the reasons to examine that why for cats eating squirrels hunting is not safe.
Firstly, domestic and wild cats are not that sharp and fast like an adult squirrel, so that they cannot cope with the wildness of an adult squirrel.
As there are such cases present, which shows that the squirrels just are not fast as cats, but they can even shredded cats stomach with their strong toes. And pet cats don’t have the bold instincts to attack an adult cat.
That’s why far cats attack big squirrels is not safe. So therefore, if you have squirrels near your house, then don’t let your cats to go outside for a long time and also at night.
Secondly, squirrels can carry a number of harmful diseases like any other rodents, fleas, ticks, lice, etc. So if your cat catches and kills a squirrel, then your cat is exposed to that disease and parasite.
And all these diseases can harm your cats as well as you and your family. That’s why, for a cat to hunt as well as to eat a squirrel is not safe for them and for your family also.
How Can I Stop My Cat Killing Squirrels?
As attacking squirrels is not safe for pets and domestic cats, as squirrels can give them serious damage as well as they can transfer a number of diseases and their parasites, as well. And this causes trouble for your cat and also for you and your family.
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So that’s why, if there are squirrels outside the house, then keep your cat indoors for most of the time. And for that, you can arrange different activities and games for them.
However, as cats like jumping the most, then you can arrange different jumping activities for them. Moreover, you can take your cat for a walk but don’t let them mess with squirrels.
Are Squirrels Afraid of Cats?
However, squirrels are not afraid of them, but they sure keep in mind that cats are their predators when they get a chance. Not only for cats, but they keep in mind this fact for all large animals.
However, cats are wild and good hunters at the same time, but squirrels also are fast and know how to defend themselves. And an attack in defense with their sharp claws. And even a cornered squirrel not only can fight back to a cat but also give serious injury to a cat.
What To Do If Your Cat Eats a Squirrel?
Cats can hunt and eat a squirrel when they get a chance. And this thing let themselves expose all these diseases that a squirrel can carry. And of course, these diseases are not only bad for a cat but also for the human beings around them.
So, if your cat eats a squirrel, then you have to take it to the vet. And assure that your cat gets a proper vaccine against all the diseases. As the immune system of a domestic cat is not that strong to cope with all such diseases.
Wrap Up:
In conclusion, if you want to know that do cats eat squirrels, then Yes. Cats can kill and eat a squirrel when they get a chance to do so. But domestic cats usually don’t hunt adult cats as they are wild and fast. Rather than that, they eat baby squirrels as they are easy prey.
However, to eat a squirrel is not safe for cats as squirrels can carry diseases like rabies, plague, brain worms, typhus, and many more. So if you have a pet cat and also squirrels near the house, then keep your cat indoors.