Do cats eat rats or do they just kill them?
Cats can definitely eat rats and pretty much anything they catch and kill. We have a cat Tyler who is well fed but spends a lot of time outside during the day and evening exploring and hunting. He eats all sorts of small mammals and birds. I have seen him with chipmunks, mice, voles, moles, snakes, squirrels, and rabbits. He's medium to larger size cat and he pretty much eats everything. I have seen him get rabbits, rip the head off (and sometimes eat it). He pulls off the fur and guts it leaving the entrails. Eating everything including the bones. Pretty much the same for everything else. Rats would pose no problem for him. He stays away from skunks, opossums, and woodchucks. A neighbor cat Oscar managed to kill two opossums after altercations with them. He was injured so didn't eat them.Felines of all sizes are excellent hunters if they learned how to do it. Their hearing, eyesight, whiskers, fangs and protractable claws make them among the best predators on the planet. A rat doesn't have much of a chance against them and they make a tasty meaty meal for them.EDIT: Thanks for the suggested edits. One person suggested changing opossum to possum. The correct term for the animal in North America IS opossum. The possum found in Australia is different. We do use fangs like playing possum but it's different usage. Check the information on http://grammerly.com for more interesting information.
Do cats naturally attack small birds and rodents, or is this a learned behavior that requires teaching from older cats during kittenhood?
Cats naturally want to pounce on and capture small fluffy things that wiggle and scurry and make rustling noises. They are designed for it, and the instinct is built in. This is what allows them to survive in the wild.They don't know, at first, that they are killing another creature. They just know that it is very exciting and fun. Later, they learn that this is also a food source.A mother cat will teach her kittens how to hunt, how to kill, and how to eat prey. At first, she will bring freshly killed prey back to her den so they can learn to eat by watching her. Then she will start bringing live mice or other small animals to them, so they can learn to kill them, and how to stalk them. This is rather gruesome to many humans (including me). But because the cat does not recognize the prey animal as a being, it is an act of love for her kittens from her perspective.If kittens are raised together with small prey animals from when they are very young, they can recognize them as fellow beings, as family. And this can override their prey drive. I had kittens and bunnies who grew up together, and they were good playmates. They would chase one another for fun and leap over each other without fear. It was very cute. They were pretty well matched in size.Some cats have been raised with and bonded with small animals such as mice and birds. It can work out. I wouldn't chance it, though, because the risk of the cat accidentally killing its pal is too high, in my opinion. The drive to pounce and chomp on a small furry or fluttery creature could overpower their cautious behavior, and then their little pal would be gone. The cat, who has similar emotions to a human child, would grieve and puzzle over their loss, and have a harsh lesson.I have seen an adult cat play with a moth, totally enraptured in the moment, and then eat the fluttery thing, and then call for it to come back and play some more! This is not because the cat is stupid. It is due to what its senses (quite different in some ways from our own) tell it, and the life experiences it has had as a domestic pet. An experienced wild cat who hunts for all its meals would be more pragmatic and eat quickly with no nonsense. Unless it is very well fed, and has leisure time to enjoy practicing hunting skills.I answered - “Do cats naturally attack small birds and rodents, or is this a learned behavior that requires teaching from older cats during kittenhood?”
Why do (male) cats kill the kittens after they are born?
As others have said in their answers - some male cats may kill kittens to induce the female to come into heat, or to reduce potential competition in their territory. These are behaviors humans have noticed in some animal species, including domestic cats. Some male cats, especially if unaltered, might even attack kittens when they are old enough to run and play and eat.However, not all male cats kill kittens. And when they do, there may be additional reasons. Cats who do not have a maternal drive, whether male or female, may kill very young kittens simply because they resemble prey.And though I wouldn’t count on this - some male cats actually have gentle, supportive behaviors when it comes to babies. Some will even nurture them. Like us humans, cats can have a variety of reactions to circumstances.But when it comes to raising babies, you want to be VERY careful. A mother cat with kittens NEEDS to have a safe, preferably quiet, private place where her kittens are undisturbed. Having other cats around, and maybe even any humans she isn’t totally comfortable with, can cause her a great deal of stress. And she is likely to fiercely attack an approaching cat. Both adult cats could get injured. And the stressful situation may get her very worked up and even cause her to neglect or accidentally harm her kittens.So I recommend keeping a male cat and a new family apart, until the kittens are old enough to be very carefully and attentively introduced, and the mom isn’t as worried about him.Here are more related answers -Sabira Woolley's answer to A cat just had its babies in my home. The cat’s not mine and I doubt it has an owner. What do I do?Sabira Woolley's answer to Is it safe for me to allow the father of the kittens to interact with them? They are newborn.Sabira Woolley's answer to Question from heartbroken cat owner. Will a mama cat consume kittens that are two weeks old and thriving?I answered - “Why do (male) cats kill the kittens after they are born? I mean to say, that the dad of the cat tries to kill it's own baby and the mom (female cat) defends it's kitten.”
What happens if your cat eats cheese because I think my cat is puking because of cheese?
Normally a bit of cheese here and there should have little effect, just remember cats are generally “allergic” (struggle to digest it) to cow’s milk so even if they dont puke, it can give them diarrhoea. Cat’s cannot taste salt like we do, and they can often overeat on cheese and then simply vomit it all out from all the salt. cheese in small amounts every blue moon should not do them much harm, but generally speaking, it has little to no legitimate place in their diets and is best avoided. Cats are often attracted to a variety of arb crap that they should not eat simply because they can smell the fat in it (chocolates, potato ships, cheese, milk, yoghurt, butter, icecream made from vegetable fat, some LOVE coconut oil - but cats are obligate carnivores, we know they cant really digest carbs and cow’s milk gives them the runs, on top of that they cant taste salt or sugar very well so can stuff themselves on beef jerkey just to end up vomiting all over the place). Their instincts tell them anything fatty or oily should be “good” for them but the soy bean oil in a tin of sardines is in fact pretty badd ass for them.
I really miss having a pet?
You have to remember that no one, not you, nor me, nor your parents, are perfect. People often change their minds. If it was a family dog, and it passed, they may still be grieving, as well. It may not matter that it's a goldfish, rat, cat, or anything else. . .they may not want to deal with another animal—no, another /family member/—dying. Also, though it may not seem like much, goldfish die a lot easier than dogs do, and can also be just as much work, without the bonding, loyalty, and interaction that you'd get from a dog. They clearly DO "know what it feels like to be left without something to care for," as they both have had three childhood dogs that, judging by your wording, they no longer have. They also probably helped with the family dog, as well. Don't be so hard on your folks, because they're definitely grieving, too. Also, going behind their back to be huffy about this situation on such a public site as this is even more disrespectful, in my opinion. Forgive me if my assumption was mistaken in think you didn't tell them about your posting this on here. It's good to want to be responsible about something and want to care for something, but, honestly, you're young, and that really isn't your job just yet.
Cat throwing up its food?
My fiance's cat she has had for years throws up allot. It basically looks like she just ate and throws up its food. This has been happening for years. I hate this. This cat is ruining our apt. furniture. She says the vets say its nothing to worry about. Any ideas on what could cause this?
What can cats eat apart from cat food?
My cat says, “Everything is cat food if it tastes good.” :-)Seriously, there’s a lot of food that cats can eat.First, there are the things cats eat in nature:Mice (raw, complete with fur and bones)Fish (also complete)Small birds (usually leaving feathers behind)InsectsSpiders (“Yumm” says Sulu, for whom spiders are favourite snack)Grass (Cats eat this in small quantities, mostly to help the digestive process)Then there are the ‘human’ foods that cats enjoy, and that are digestible and healthy, although not suitable as the main diet:cooked eggscooked ricecooked cereals (especially oats)cooked meatscooked fish (a big favourite with many cats)vegetables, raw or cooked (Many cats like broccoli. Some like tomatoes or olives. Sulu likes chickpea-hummus and baked beans in tomato sauce. )potatoes and potato products (Some cats are fond of crisps - that’s ‘chips’ in American English)fruit (Some cats are crazy about certain types of melons. - N.B. grapes are the exception, cats should not eat grapes.)Dairy products are popular with cats. Some cats can eat dairy, others have an intolerance and should stay away from this. (Be careful. Best give your cat only a small quantity, and observe if your cat tolerates dairy, before you let it have more.)MilkCheeseYoghurtIn addition, there are foods that cats shouldn’t eat, for reasons other than health, such as houseplants. :-) — Some kinds of plants (garden flowers, houseplants) have an appetising smell that attracts cats. Most plants are safe, but a few (e.g. lilies) are toxic, so be careful.Importantly, there are some toxic foods a cat should never eat, not even in small quantities:Grapes and raisinsOnions, garlic and related vegetablesChocolateAlcoholChewing gumWhile it’s generally safe to let your cat nibble on a bit of whatever it fancies (the feline digestive system is designed to simply expel whatever is not suitable), please memorise the ‘no-no’ foods and keep your cat away from those.