Do Cats Eat Dead Mice? [Why & Is It Safe?]

It is true that the competition is old between the cat and the mouse, but many of us have no idea, what will the cat do if it catches the mouse or if it kills the mouse, or what it does if it sees a dead mouse, does it eat it or not, this is what we will know with the next details

Do Cats Eat Dead Mice?

Simply and a direct answer, cats do not eat the dead mouse, and they certainly will not eat anything that kills it in normal cases, your cat could be a very experienced hunter, perhaps it is a professional killer of rodents, but after hunting do not eat prey.

If you see that your cat has brought a dead mouse, this does not mean that the cat wants to eat it, but this has other meanings, for example, if the cat wants to tell you that it has the power to hunt, the cat wants to tell you that it is not weak or sick.

Believe it or not, this may also be because of love, cats are creatures with primitive minds, but they have clear feelings, you may see the cat bring the dead mouse or manipulate it and drag it to a place inside the house or close to you, can you imagine that the cat meant Presenting a gift to you?

The reason may not be to eat the mouse, cats carry the instinct of stalking and hunting this is all their past, being a domestic cat does not mean that they have managed to get rid of this past completely.

This behavior may cause you some anxiety, but the good news is that the cat is more interested in chasing the mouse than in eating it.

Can Cats Get Sick From Dead Mice?

Cats are skilled hunters, they have been used since ancient times to catch and get rid of rodents, they love speed, chase, and rush.

And as we mentioned, cats usually do not eat the creatures they kill, but if the opposite happens, you should try to prevent the cat from eating prey, because it will be very harmful, perhaps it does not know that, so you have to intervene.

But if you could not intervene, in this case, if the cat ate the mouse, it could cause it to get sick.

Mice are usually carriers of harmful bacteria and parasites and diseases, and cats can catch diseases from them quickly, whether it is through eating, or even just biting them.

Playing with the body of the mouse may also cause the transmission of a disease, or it can cause poisoning, because the mouse may have been exposed to rodenticides, and this can certainly be fatal for domestic cats.

You have to realize that even if the cat does not eat the dead mouse, its mere presence is a danger to the cat, so you have to get rid of the rodent’s body as soon as you can.

Specialists tell us that there are more than 40 diseases that mice can carry. If your cat catches a mouse, it is necessary to fix the situation yourself because the situation will be at stake after that.

If you cannot remedy the situation, then it will depend on what diseases the mouse had or whether it was exposed to rodenticides. In most cases, at least, the mouse is a carrier of the disease even if it does not carry the rodenticide in its body ، this will make the cat symptoms appear after a few hours

This makes it important to remove any dead mice as soon as they are found. The good news is that cats are cocky hunters ، cats are likely to bring their prey under your feet.

All that we mentioned leads you to one point, get rid of the rodent’s body as soon as possible.

You should not be pessimistic about this because the good news is that cats are arrogant creatures who like to show off their achievements.

Be sure that if the cat catches something, it will bring it close to you and will not hide it from you, this will help you get rid of it.

Is It Safe For Cats To Eat Mice?

Given that cats hunt and eat mice in the wild, it might seem strange to propose potential harm in this phenomena. Moreover, a cat’s well-adapted digestive system can indeed process a mouse without any issues. However, the complications arise not from consuming the mouse itself but rather from what the mouse might be carrying.

Consider a hypothetical situation: your cat captures a mouse in your home and consumes it. This is less likely to pose a health risk as there is nothing inherently harmful or toxic within the mouse’s biology. However, this is a rare occurrence.

In contrast, the more common scenario is that cats encounter mice that dwell in unhygienic environments such as garbage dumps, sewer systems, or in areas infested with fecal matter. These mice are carriers of various bacteria and fungi since they consume any food source available, irrespective of the cleanliness. Moreover, they tend to be exposed to rodenticides, increasing the risk for your cat.

In fact, it is curious to note that some mice can withstand these rodenticides but it would be perilous for your feline friend to consume such a mouse.

In essence, the safety of a cat consuming a mouse depends extensively on the lifestyle and environment of the said mouse. Therefore, while it may be a natural instinct for cats to hunt and eat mice, the potential health risks involved should not be overlooked.

What Do Cats Do with Dead Mice?

Since cats are hunters, this means that even if they manage to live without hunting their food, this will not make them give up the desire to enjoy hunting or chasing.

Cats think that you are part of their family, so if the cat brings you a dead or even alive rodent, it means that it wants to brag about you.

It means that it uses this method to teach you to hunt because she sees you do not have those abilities that she does.

Some cats will bring you dead animals as a gift, as we mentioned, cats think that you are a member of the family, so they definitely think that the dead mouse is something useful to you as food.

It is useful to mention that this behavior that cats follow is not related to hunger or satiety, cats hunt because they are cats.

What To Do If Your Cat Brings In a Mouse?

Seeing a cat looking for rodents such as a mouse in the house or in the garden is a healthy thing, and indicates its safety and that it is in full health and vitality.

But the problem is if the cat decides to bring you what he will find, in this case, you have to do some things to correct the path.

If your cat brings something like a mouse or a bird and brings it into the house or room, you must not let the cat see you while you are cleaning the place or remove the thing that the cat brought.

Because if the cat sees you or the person who cleaned it, it would be like starting a game of hide-and-seek for it, you clean up and the cat repeats over and over.

You have to wear gloves and start picking up the dead mouse and it must be placed in an airtight bag so that the cat can not smell its smell and discover that you cleaned it.

If the dead mouse is stuck on the floor or on something, you must use disinfectants to remove traces, including smell ، this will make the cat forget the whole incident.

And if the mouse has left a mark on the fabric, on the carpet, or on a piece of furniture, use a shampoo with hot water or replace this piece of carpet, for example.

The last thing, if mice are present in your house, this will be a convincing reason for what the cat does, you have to get rid of them in the way you prefer, using traps for example.