# What do you do when your cat eats bugs?



## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Miu just caught and ate a small butterfly. I was unable to stop her because unlike ants, she went completely ballistic catching it. With ants, she would just follow them and half-heartedly paw at them. However, she went wild catching this butterfly, overturning a bowl of pet water, jumping around very high. I couldn't open the door to let it out for fear she would just bolt out to catch it. Rocky was barking and trying to stop her. We had trouble even trying to catch him. By that time she had snatched it from the air and ran away, carrying it in her mouth. She took it some place and my sis said she ate it.

My sis and my mom are totally grossed out. My sis doesn't like with me and usually jokes about catnapping Miu. After this, she like ew...you can have her back.

I feel bad for the butterfly but it happened so fast. What do you do with you cat catching bugs?


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## D'Lynn (Jun 18, 2011)

She is a predator. Her instinct is to hunt and eat what she catches. If my cat catches a bug she's welcome to eat it. I might stop her if it's a stink bug but that's about it. Bugs are definitely on the species menu and are quite nutritious.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I get so grossed out, I herk out a hairball.


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## Rocky_Raccoon (Jun 7, 2011)

Extra protein


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Ok I mangled up my English....can't edit post. I had a brain hiccup so bad I'm not sure what I was trying to say either. HAHA. Anyways, I meant my sister usually jokes and says she'll catnap Miu cuz she's so cute. But after Miu just hunted and ate the butterfly, she's totally grossed out.

@marie: I'd like to see that!

Well, I wasn't too insistent cuz I had the same thought about her exercising her predator instincts but after my mom pointed it out, I was like yeah...poor butterfly.


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## Miss Callie Kitty (Jun 12, 2011)

Rocky_Raccoon said:


> Extra protein


 
Yep...and best thing is....keeps them busy for awhile and we do not have to prepare it...lol


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## CuteStuff (Jun 25, 2011)

My cat loves to eat spiders. I just let him chow down. Its there instinct and 99 percent of bugs your cat will run into wont hurt them anyways so they should be good.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

I was looking after a friends cat one time and it caught and ate a white butterfly. It was chomping away with the wings poking out of the sides of its mouth.

The only time I worried about Zenobi going after an insect was when she became interested in a yellow stripe wasp.

I've read articles where it has been suggested that people should eat bugs (properly cooked, of course).


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

What do I do when my cats eats bugs?

I applaud!  In fact, once a week, I pick up a couple dozen crickets and toss them in the tub for the cats to pick off as they choose. *grin*

AC


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Holy crap, is _that_ why Charlee chirps???!!


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

Auntie Crazy said:


> What do I do when my cats eats bugs?
> 
> I applaud!  In fact, once a week, I pick up a couple dozen crickets and toss them in the tub for the cats to pick off as they choose. *grin*
> 
> AC


I do the same thing. When I pick up crickets for my tarantula, I always get some extra for Rochelle and Alice to hunt down in the tub.  The two of them are also accomplished spider and cockroach killers/eaters (we don't get much else in the house). 

Samantha only has eyes for moths...she rarely catches them, but it's obvious they are a special treat for her from the look of satisfaction on her face when she does catch one.


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## 6cats4me (Apr 30, 2011)

*Crickets are Graybee's favorite!*


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

We had a big brown Tabby when I was a child named Hungary, because he would eat anything.
He was a very accomplished moth catcher, he'd hang out on the front porch as the fluttered around the light and pick them off and munch them down.


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

The girls are welcome to catch and eat any bug they can find. The LOVE blue bottle flies- the record is catching 5 in 2 minutes! Anything that gets them up and running is great with me. 

I chickened out of buying live crickets for the girls. I had the little box in my hand, but couldn't bring myself to buy them. I know, I know... I let the girls down!


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## D'Lynn (Jun 18, 2011)

I love the idea of letting Cinder catch crickets. She tried to catch a lizard outside but her leash is too short. She came close.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Mow will talk to bugs when he sees them but he rarely kills them. I have seen him eat a dead fly before....but I'm pretty sure it died of old age and not from him......


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## oceanmist (Feb 12, 2011)

Cherry tries to catch moths through the windows at night. She hasn't yet realized that it doesn't work.

Cassie used to chase moths around the house and she'd eat them. Only a few times she's puked them back up, but I think that's because she ate bugs that were in spider webs or something.


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## Salemcat2 (Dec 28, 2010)

I say "GO Dagny! Good boy!" Though I've never seen him eat a butterfly and not feel so good about it as I do the spiders and bugs.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

Egypt LOVES waterbugs...gross, but at least I don't have to kill them myself. I just call her and she takes care of it for me.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Yup, Auntie Crazy is right. I applaud, too. And they are so good at it. I wouldn't be happy about a butterfly, but then again, I've never had a butterfly in the house. They don't eat stinkbugs, but they are great at pointing them out to me, and I do the rest (but I don't eat them, either!). Snowby is terrific with spiders.

The only time I got concerned was when Blizzy caught a mouse at midnight in my basement a few weeks ago. I was unsuccessful in getting it away from him and Hersh, had no idea how this would end, but I found out, when Blizzy ate it--with no ill effects. After that, insects seem tame to me by comparison.


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## konstargirl (Feb 4, 2011)

Misa is an insectivorous. lol I watch her eat it. XD


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

Luckily my cats go after waterbugs by flipping them onto their backs so they die trying to get back on their feet. Then I pick the bug up and throw down the toilet. YUCK!! But I love my cats for being so brave! I would run away crying if I didn't have my cats.


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

I wish I got more bugs in my condo because chasing bugs is pure joy for Ritz. Except when they fly ONTO her, then she acts all insulted.
I had a sudden but brief infestation of flying ants, which entertained Ritz for about 24 hours. Me, not so much. Put down the D.E. and they were gone soon thereafter.
Ritz is welcome to eat any bug that she catches (except for bugs I think could be poisen)--extra protein.
I draw the line at bugs that could cause an allergic reaction, such as bees. Just the other day I made a big show of killing a yellow jacket in front of her, saying "danger danger danger" and "not for kitties". After I threw it away the bug I came back to Ritz and said "thank you for pointing out to me the bug". Yeah, she looked at me like I was crazy.


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## Fyreflie (Mar 5, 2011)

The cats found a HUGE moth last night and I have no idea how it got in the house, all our windows have screens on them! Wicket went insane, it was really cute. I'm not sure either one of them ate it, I think the kitten tried but flaked out. 

Both of them are really interested in the birds on the telephone wire outside our upstairs window--especially the crows. Wicket chatters at them with that weird clicking sound and he's teaching the kitten to do it too! The downside is, I'm worried one of them will finally figure out that they can break the screen, and we're on the 3rd floor  I worry about summer, too, when insects are on the outside of the screen. Whoever designed this house obviously didn't have kids or cats, the windows are only 6 inches off the ground!


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Do your cats have a particular preference for any certain bugs? Miu and Jack just sit there and watch ants. Sometimes Miu lazily swats at them. She doesn't like pillbugs. Jack doesn't seem to like eat any bugs. The butterfly was the only time I've seen Miu go absolutely crazy. She was chasing it wildly, jumping up and clapping it down with both paws. Then when she finally caught it, she carried it in her mouth like some prize and ran off to eat it in some corner. How did she know it would taste good just by looking at it? She's never caught or ate one before.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

for me it depends what kind. a spider? have at it!! But the butterfly i would feel bad for. I actually let a firefly back outside the other night. freaking them both out cuz they light up then disappear. lol.


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