If you have a cat or cats, you’ve probably seen them crouching by a window, teeth bared, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting insects that happen to wander within striking distance. In the event that your cats are successful in catching a fly, you can expect the cat eats flies.
But… Why does my cat consume insects? This hunting activity may appear odd to you, because your cat is well-fed and does not need to hunt for food, and flies are not typically their preferred prey. However, do not be excessively alarmed since this behavior is very common. Find out why your cat eats flies by reading the article “My cat eats flies – Is this a Big problem?” from FiverPet.
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My cat seems to have a strange obsession with eating flies. ?!
Cats are predatory creatures with the urge to hunt encoded in their DNA. Their progenitors fed on prey like as rodents and, to a lesser degree, birds, reptiles and insects. It’s hardly strange, therefore, that our domestic cats, no matter how well fed, maintain the urge to pursue, hunt and kill flies and other insects that enter the home. Similarly, if your cats have access to the outdoors, they will pursue rats and other small creatures that are unfortunate enough to cross their path. They do this by instinct, not necessarily by hunger. In reality, the urge and need to hunt are entirely independent of hunger.
If you’re fortunate, you’ll have a front row ticket to observe your cat employing its hunting methods. Cats, for instance, exhibit the aforementioned teeth chattering behavior when approached with possible prey. It is believed that the cat is attempting to kill its victim as swiftly as possible with this “pre-bite.” With this unique jaw action, it is able to cut the spinal cord, which quickly paralyzes the victim.
You may also observe that your cat adjusts its head from side to side. It assesses the prey’s distance so that it does not miss it when it lunges. You should avoid being stung by bees and wasps, but you should not restrict your cat from chasing flies.
Why does my cat kill flies after playing with them?
Frequently, the cat will not jump on a fly and kill it in order to consume it. Instead, it will swat it with enough power to stun it, but not kill it, and then spend a great deal of time swinging it back and forth on the ground, catching it and releasing it. This is a not-so-pleasant scenario for tutors, but keep in mind, that this behavior is as usual as when the search is done after a few seconds.
This tendency may be explained by the cat’s desire to prolong a hunting activity, it participates in less often than its forebears in the wild. A pet cat living in an apartment will have limited opportunities to exercise its hunting abilities. Therefore, it capitalizes on the opportunity. On the other hand, female cats are prone to engage in these behaviors prior to murdering their prey. This habit may be connected to the fact that females bring live prey, to the nest to teach their kittens how to kill it.
There is a definitive reason for this behavior, and it involves their preferred prey: rats. Large rats might severely hurt a cat that approaches them. In order to evade these assaults, they first shock the rat with a series of strikes, before approaching its face to administer the deadly bite.
Does it matter if my cat eats flies?
As we have just discussed, it is not uncommon to see a cat pursuing and devouring a fly. Due to its tiny size, ingesting an insect will not pose a health risk to the cat. Although they may contain pathogens, they should not be present in significant amounts to signal an issue for a healthy cat. It will also not imbalance its nutrition.
Nevertheless, while prevention is preferable than treatment, it is necessary to deworm your cat often. Therefore, it may be claimed that your cat’s occasional consumption of a fly is neither harmful nor healthy for him, since he is not doing it out of hunger.
My cat ate a pesticide and a fly?!
There might be a concern if the fly was treated with a pesticide that could be poisonous to cats. So if you’ve used a fly killer, don’t take any risks and don’t let your cat consume it. Divert his attention by providing him another activity that interests him.
If he has eaten a fly and insect spray, keep a watch on him to make sure he doesn’t have an unpleasant reaction. If you discover that your cat is not feeling well, call your veterinarian. As a precaution, avoid using potentially harmful substances in your house.
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