People usually think that cats love eating rodents such as rats and mice, but is this the truth? Well, cartoons and some movies are to blame for this. Although, they aren’t completely wrong. See, cats do, in fact, love chasing rats. However, not all cats are like this and even those that do, generally avoid eating the rodent. They mostly catch them and bring them home as a ‘trophy’.
Unfortunately, there have been cases of cats eating rodents which, in turn, caused some serious health concerns. Some cats (and more rarely, dogs) have a tendency to eat the animal. If this happens, you should rush your pet to the vet immediately. You’ll want to prevent any damage occurring so you need to be fast. Let’s see why this is dangerous to your pets.
Illnesses
There are a couple of distinct illnesses associated with eating rodents. You can check out this website for more info on the topic of rodent transmitted diseases (through different methods of transmission).
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is more dangerous to dogs than cats, but cats still act as carriers of this disease that can infect dogs, other cats with a lessened immune system, or humans. Toxoplasmosis gets transmitted to dogs when a dog eats a rodent or a rabbit that have Toxoplasmosis cysts developing in the muscles of these animals.
In dogs, the liver and nervous system get affected, as well as pneumonia and/or diarrhea occurring too.
Worms
Intestinal worms can get quite nasty if not treated in time so at the sight of any weird behaviour or ‘overeating’, take your pet to the vet. Intestinal worms can appear in dogs and cats by eating rodents which have Roundworm larvae in them.
They are around 10cm in length and resemble spaghetti.
Secondary Poisoning
Some people prefer using rat or mice poison as a way to get rid of them. Even though this method is very effective, it’s also dangerous to other living beings such as humans, and other animals (in this case, your pets).
Your dog or cat don’t have to eat the poison directly; secondary poisoning is a rather common occurrence. A dog or cat will eat the mouse/rat that were poisoned. This can cause secondary poisoning and a plethora of other issues too.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s safe to say that you should react as quickly as possible if you notice any issues with your pet. If, by any chance, you catch them in the act, quickly, but carefully, take the dead animal away from them.
Additionally, visit the pet every 3 months for a regular worm check-up. It’s better to notice is during the start than later when it’s already difficult to deal with it. Simply be careful and take good care of your pet!
