The answer to the question may astound some of you. What do cats eat? Your probable answer, of course, would be cat food. Sure, cats eat store-bought cat food, but they eat so many other things and you may be surprised at what some of those things are. What happens when a stray cat adopts a family and the family never feeds the cat? The cat has to live on something, right? We have no pet cats in our compound but a stray cat (starting as a kitten) has decided to make us humans his pets.
Stray Cats
We have quite a few stray cats come in and out of our compound. Each one will run as soon as it’s spotted, except for one because he lives in our compound now. I’m not sure where these stray cats actually call home, but I suspect it’s a vacant lot next door.
Two of the cats are fish thieves. When relatives are cooking fish along with other odoriferous foods in a makeshift dirty kitchen, they have to stay in that area. Each time the fish are left unattended, either a large yellow-colored tabby or a black and white whatever will steal one or more fish, right from the frying pan.
These particular cats are missing parts of their tails. They happen to be the same cats I hear in cat fights almost every night and I assume they’re fighting with each other.
The Cat Who Adopted Us
This cat is no different in appearance from all the rest. He’s a not a tabby and his colors are dark gray and white. The dark gray is almost black, but not quite. I first noticed this cat when it was still a kitten, roaming around the compound and meowing every morning for something to eat. Unlike the other stray cats at the time, this kitten never ran from anyone. No one fed the kitten, but the kitten found scraps to eat from people eating outside their homes.
I recently found out where the cat is hanging out when he isn’t roaming around the compound, harassing people. I saw him lying on a tarp or something on the tin roof over a brother-in-law’s house. That part of the roof is very near to one of our privately-owned street lights and one of his food supplies: Insects that congregate around that fluorescent light.
I found out about his preferred place when I walked out on my balcony and he jumped off the roof, onto the hood of my car, down to then driveway and then considered jumping over the expanse between the driveway and my balcony. It was a little too far for him to cross by leaping from a standstill and I’m kind of glad because I didn’t want him getting into my bedroom.
When this cat is not looking for something to eat, he is one of the most affectionate cats I have ever seen. When I or one of my relatives is sitting on one of the lawn chairs between our houses, he will jump onto laps, purring and snuggling as he goes. Everyone puts him down immediately because he’s bound have a lot of fleas on him (although he appears pretty clean).
What Do Cats Eat?
Of course cats will eat store-bought cat food — that food has been formulated just for cats and mimics the flavors they really love, like chicken and fish (and the more expensive cat food actually has these as ingredients). Cats eat other things, naturally, and some things you probably wouldn’t approve of.
I write from experience because I’ve had many opportunities to observe cat behavior over the years. Cats at my parents’ home, when I was young, would run up the side of the wall with the outdoor light on it, just to munch down on a few stray cicadas. I don’t know how they catch them here, but I’ve seen at least one cat feasting on them.
Cats eat mice and that’s a given. Why else would so many cartoons use it as a plot device? I haven’t actually seen any mice being eaten but our unnamed cat has been seeing playing with a couple of dead mice.
Cats eat snakes – at least the small ones. The fish thieves have been spotted tearing apart small snakes behind one of the houses on more than one occasion. It’s probably why I never see snakes in the compound and you have to know there are a lot of snakes in the tropics.
Cats are more finicky than dogs. Dogs will eat almost anything they consider edible. Cats seem to prefer some forms of meat or fish and some kinds of insects. If they eat anything else, I’ve never noticed. One thing is odd though with the cat with no name. He will eat fish or chicken with rice if he finds it that way. I have never seen any other cat eat rice, even when starving for food.
he he he, nice post:)
The favorite all time food for a cat are birds, they love them and eat feathers and all. Cats are strange creatures very funny!
And those cats you think are fighting during the night, well they ain,t fighting, their makes baby’s. Read up on it cats have very strange sex habits.
Heh, the cats can’t get to the birds here (and they’re scared of the roosters). I don’t know about those cat fights. Both cats are male but then, they could be funny cats.
Cats, eat a wide variety of food which does indeed include mice.
I remember a neighbours cat caught a mouse in my house, I was trying to get her to take the mouse outside, however she had already swallowed it.
A cat owned by a work colleague constantly eats mice, birds and she even catches large crows.
Cats have a very wild side with a very interesting history, they were once worshipped as Gods. Somehow I think they are aware of their royal lineage.
I have three adult cats two kittens (fostering one) and 1 dog. The adult cats eat the kitten food, and the kittens eat the dog food, and the dog eats both adult and kitten food. How do I get them to eat the right types of food?
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Good luck.
Cats do indeed adopt people. They can always feed themselves, but around here everyone would be feeding them. Just saying.
Have a terrific day. :)
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wow, my take away for this is that cats eat snakes! I had no idea. I guess it’s time to get a cat.
I agree on cats being picky on food.
My cat gives me hard time when it comes to his feeding time. The only thing that he eats is “pancit canton”.
Yes!
He only eats “pancit canton” aka that instant noodles that cooks in under 2 minutes that costs around 8 pesos.
i love cats much. At home i have 3 cats. They always follow me. Your information about cats are great. thanks for sharing.
Cats are very effective predators when they set their minds to it. It is not just the little snakes that they will try to kill. I work in rural South Australia at a vet clinic. We see cats in the clinic quite frequently in the summer months who have tried to attack a brown snake. These are venomous. The venom paralyses the cats and can sometimes kill them.
You would think that they would learn from their experience. But no, there are several cats that we have seen for their second or third snake bite.
Simon.
I guess it’s time to get a cat.
I have both cats and dogs. The cats are very finicky and quite often won’t eat expensive cat food. But if you follow a cat around and watch them, you will discover they will eat some pretty disgusting things.
The dogs on the other hand will swallow something if he thinks it food before it even hits the floor. One of my dogs grabbed small onion that i dropped and swallowed it before even sniffing it to see what it was.
Marley the most placid cat you could ever hope to meet once tore a chicken from me and dragged it behind the settee and would not let go growling like a Scottish wild cat. The weirdest thing she has eaten is a Valerian tablet which mate her go silly like a drunken puss! It’s the smell of catnip.
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I haven’t had a lot of experience with cats. I know my wife had them when she was younger, but she is allergic to them. So we stick with dogs. But from what I do know, I agree..they are quite a bit pickier than dogs. I find that dogs will eat mostly anything, which can be a good and a bad thing.
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I just lost my cat…apparently she had gotten into some cleanser that hadnt been rinsed out of the tub thoroughly…She was vomiting on and off for a couple of days, but had gone thro that before with hairballs, etc…so I wasn’t that alarmed..the third day she got outside ( she was an outside cat) and that evening I found her under the car barely conscious…she died that night…please everyone with cats…make sure you RINSE, RINSE, RINSE your sinks and tubs…
I love cats, they can totally take care of themselves. Growing up I had a cat that just fed itself, we would go away on vacation and just leave him outside and he’d find his own food. It helps if you live in a forest area though, I wouldn’t recommend leaving your cat outside like that in the city.
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The wife and I were at the families place over in Leyte recently and I saw cats eating rice that people would put down on the ground for them. They gobbled it up in no time at all. It was the first time I’d seen cats scarfing up rice like that.
One of the great myths – at least in the UK, anyway – is that cats like milk or cream. Lots of folk here put a saucer of milk out if a stray cat gets friendly.
Unfortunately the reality is that most cats are lactose intolerant and it won’t do them any good at all.
Some of them don’t like SPAM (the canned variety) either, unless they’re starving.
my cat eats only and milk
so if u dont know anything about cats
better shut ur bloody mouth
I only know that cats can not give the fish with small bones, or even suppressed.
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This is very true I have a sphynx cat and he is as picky as they come. He will not eat when I put out the food its like he will wait to he wants to eat and if I put out something he ate yesterday he wont eat it. I named him king tut because he is something special.
I know cats eat mice but I never knew that cats eat snakes…
Some cats eat snakes. My old fluffy used to eat a couple of harmless snakes in the backyard before. Also many cats like to hunt mice but do not actually eat thier carcasses.
I think that cats eat whiskers, mice and catnip, although it does make Mario go a wee bit funny.
My mum’s cat will only eat fresh fish, it even turns it’s nose up at tinned tuna. Spoilt I say!
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be careful with your cat food, because my cat diarrhea. the vet said because of the wrong foods T.T
I do have a cat in my home. It is my neighbor’s. But it like our family than theirs and so full time it is here.
My cat likes to eat my sons diapers. Pretty nasty and I have no idea why as I thought cats were carnivore’s or prefered meat type foods?
Than again I also heard some cats will eat anything when they are around catnip as it gives them the munchies. I wonder how many stoner cats there are?
The real question should be, what is it that cats do not eat?
Sometimes one of our cats won’t eat what the other one is eating, and vice versa. And then a couple hours later they do the opposite. They are very particular!
I have a cat that eats watermelon, honey dew, cantaloupe all types of melon. He can be in the farthest part of the house and no matter how quite you think you are he will hear you cut into it and now he won’t leave you alone. So now I have to give him some, then more and more… He eats faster then I do. He also goes crazy for marshmallows. I have another cat that loves fudgesicles. He won’t leave you alone till you share. He’ll lick it till there is nothing left but the stick.
You just never know about cats, which is why they are so cool. And anyone who does not like cats you have to wonder about.
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My parents care for 12 stray, feral cats.
They feed them daily…cat food from cans, dry food and fresh water.
Occasionally, we give our house cat treats, like a couple of tiny pieces of cheez-its…cat treats, etc.,.
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My cat eats anything. And yacks up anything. Is there cat training that is like puppy training where you can teach it not to do things? I’m tired of my cat eating my plants!
Cats do eat anything. I would agree to Robert Fowler:
“The real question should be, what is it that cats do not eat?”
I never saw a cat turn away from any food :-)
I have. I’ve seen cats turn away from mashed potatoes and then watched dogs eat everything from that plate.
THERE IS A CAT THAT LIVES ON MY STREET AND I DONT NO WAT TO FEED IT I JUST GIVE IT MILK
only milk?
Dogs and cats have become domesticated at different rates, so it’s no surprise that their dietary habits have changed at different rates too.
cats eat mice and rats and brides
Cats generally eat fish and milk,even mouse,and perhaps it eats everything
Yes I agree cats do eat anything. They are supposed to be carnivorous but I had a cat that loved pumpkin! How weird is that?
Cats also sometimes eat grass just the normal kind growing in the yard (lawn if you will). Grass can help a cat’s digestive process by inducing regurgitation of undigested matter. Even more weird!!
We don’t have very many stray cats in Mauritius. Tons of dogs but not many cats. Are any of those snakes dangerous? I lived in Thailand for many years and over there the snakes eat cats.
Some of them are, like the bamboo snakes.
There are quite a few stray cats here in my city and I think see a lot that dive in the dumpsters. The only funny thing about it is when someone tries to throw away trash and it scares the cat. The person gets a pretty good jump.
Its a very funny post i loved it .
I serve my cat with fresh honey combed ham with fresh milk everyday, you should she her fur.
Cats eat snakes? I can’t imagine this! I imagine an epic battle between Tiger and Anaconda…
hahaha – it’s funny to think of a cat fighting in this way
There used to be a cat near where I worked that I would see on my break and it was a stray. After about a month I ended up taking it in. It lived with us for a good 5 years before it passed away.
My sister has a cat that loves Italian food :) Go figure. She was a stray when they found her and lived near an Italian restaurant though. So she probably ate lots of it while living in the alley. Cats are funny.
My cat Shalom is now 17 years old, no longer that active alert aggressive when he was younger. I used to feed him with boiled eggs, steamed hotdogs-sausages, semi-fried fish and the usual canned cat food, biscuits; he is allergic to any kind of milk, oh he likes munching green grass or romaine lettuce. For almost 17 years he is full of alacrity and was never sick. I usually give him a bath once a month.
Cat eat everything like:
fish
tuna
up to them what they like is what they eat.
Is it true that Cat eat snakes, as in a snake? That sounds horrible! Well, maybe they eat the smaller one. By the way I hate cats live in the house because I have an asthma and obviously I am allergic to it.
aww thank you this helped an i am a cat lover! <3
useful writing, now I can feed my cat properly.
Aww Thankx for giving nice tips :) now i’m gived to my cat is properly food :)
I love cats and all of mine that I have had since I was a kid are rescues. I may be a bit strange but I even feed the strays outside natural food.
Cats also eat lots of lizards in the wild and lots of birds (if they catch them). This is natural to them.
I don’t think it’s strange that you feed your cats & any strays. I do the same thing, my gang includes oppossiums, stray cats, Racoons, birds,& Two Buzzards. I live in the country and i my property were not fenced in, I would have Deer in the yard. It’s a bit of heaven.
It’s some people that I find being the pests!.