Born hunters, cats love pursuing their prey. But, is it safe for them to consume crickets? Find the answer to can cats eat crickets in this article!
In the wild, cats often feed on bugs and crickets to fulfill their nutritional needs and hunger. Apart from these reasons, some cats might hunt bugs for general curiosity. Even as you feed your cat with the best food available, cats prefer to hunt from time to time. Sometimes, it is to pounce on their prey, but sometimes, they snack on their hunt as well. So can cats eat crickets? Common insects like crickets are harmless for the cats — also, its scarce for pets to be sick as a result of swallowing or eating bugs.
Can Cats Eat Crickets?
Replacing livestock or rodents with crickets as a part of nutritional requirements adds a healthy supplement to your cat’s diet. It also saves the cats from diseases carried by rodents. Crickets are also a popular choice of wild snack offered to cats.
Crickets are agile insects that are rich in natural proteins good for the predators that have urges to hunt and eat their food. They are up to 65% of protein by weight and have high levels of calcium, omega fatty acids, iron, and vitamin B12.
The only way consumption of crickets can severely harm your cats is if they have pesticides on them. The pesticide on crickets or other bugs have more severe effects on the cat than the insect itself. Pesticides are a specific form of poison that can affect the digestive system of your cat. If your cat vomits after eating a bug, you should pay a visit to the vet to be safe.
Looking at the nutritional value of crickets, pet food producers have started manufacturing food with processed insects in them as well. So if you are worried that your feline will fall ill after eating hunted bugs, you can offer them the next best substitute.
Saying that it is imperative to point out that the cats cannot give up on their hardwired nature to hunt, so if your cat has eaten a bug, keep a close eye on it for a while.
Bugs That Can Harm Your Cat
Not all bugs are right for your feline, and it is better that you keep a close watch on your pet’s hunting and eating habits. Eating bugs can lead to problems like an irritated throat and digestive tract, but these symptoms do not pose a severe threat to your cat’s health.
1. House flies
Even though house flies look harmless, they can severely harm your pets. Apart from being irritating, house flies are not clean. They are carriers of diseases and can irritate your pet’s digestive system. House flies exceptionally harmful for your feline because sometimes they lay eggs on the pet’s body. These eggs hatch and can infest your pets with larvae and maggots.
2. Roaches
Roaches are immune to almost any disease, but they are carriers of various diseases and parasites. Eating a cockroach can make your feline a victim of multiple secondary diseases and can expose them to harmful pests.
3. Spiders
The common house spiders are not a threat for your hunting cats, but venomous spiders can cause harm to your cat. Untreated bite sores from poisonous spiders can cause lethargy, swellings, fever, and withdrawal symptoms in your cat. The signs should be reported to a vet immediately.
4. Bees and wasps
Bees and wasps stings can undoubtedly hurt your cat as the flying insects can sting in defense. If your cat is allergic to bee stings, the swelling from the bite can worsen and can be accompanied by other reactions.
5. Fire ants
Fire ant’s sting burns hurt and stay with your feline for a while. Dead ants though are comfort food for cats as they produce oleic acid.
Note: Make sure your cat doesn’t feast on dead ants that have died because of ant poison or bug repellent, as any form of repellent is toxic for a cat.
Even as common bugs are harmless for your cat, in case your cat drools excessively, has uncontrollable diarrhea, vomits, or shows signs of agitation, consult a vet immediately. Catching and eating crickets, though it can be a simple way of a cat embracing its hunting instincts.
