If your cats are anything like mine they love chasing bugs and insects around the garden and will even eat or chew on some of the little creatures sometimes.
As to why they do this is fairly simple. Cats are natural predators and love hunting prey, especially if it moves quickly and gives them something to chase.
But can cats eat crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and other bugs and insects without getting sick?
The answer in most cases is – yes.
Bugs like crickets shouldn’t make a cat sick, at least not seriously sick.
Some cats might vomit after if they don’t like the feel of the insect or as a reaction to trying to eat one.
But as for being poisoned or catching some kind of parasite, this is very unlikely.
This doesn’t make it any less gross to watch I will admit. It might turn your stomach seeing your cat eating a cricket, but it’s not a problem for them.
Are Crickets Poisonous to Cats?
As mentioned above, on crickets are not poisonous to cats.
There is always a chance that the cricket has some sort of pesticide on it depending on where it’s been, or maybe it’s sick in some way.
This could cause your cat to vomit. Cats are very efficient at throwing up things that disagree with them as I’m sure you’ve noticed at some point with your kitty.
All I can advise here is that you keep an eye on your cat for the next 24 hours or so if it has been sick.
If vomiting persists and your cat is off their food then a trip to the vet is the safest course of action.
Are Crickets the Same as Grasshoppers?
You might be unsure if it’s a cricket or a grasshopper that your cat has eaten, after all, they are very similar insects and without close inspection, it’s hard to tell.
Does it make any difference? No, not at all. Not from the aspect of whether or not it should make your kitty sick, so don’t worry.
For the record, if you want to know the difference between crickets and grasshoppers the main way to tell is by looking at their antennae.
Grasshoppers have shorter antennae. They also make a different noise. More of a clicking noise, while crickets ‘sing’ as it’s often described.