Cat’s are natural born hunters. Even the laziest of domestic cats will find it hard to resisting chasing insects from time-to-time.
It’s common knowledge that mosquitoes carry some diseases that are harmful to us. You’re right to be concerned if you see your cat eating one, and it’s not the most enjoyable sight, is it?
So, to help put your mind at ease, let’s have a look at the following – do cats eat mosquitoes? And, are mosquitoes harmful to cats?
Do Cats Eat Mosquitoes?
The answer to almost any sentence starting with ..”do cats eat..” has two answers. Yes, or no. Which sounds obvious, but it mostly depends on your cat.
Ideally, we don’t want cats eating mosquitoes. They aren’t harmful as I will explain later, but it’s not doing your kitty any good and is just not a nice sight as I’m sure you’ll agree.
Cats are actually really good at knowing what is safe to eat, should be eaten and what they should avoid. It’s a huge part of their natural survival instincts in the wild that keeps them safe.
There are however two problems. One is that some domestic cats just don’t know better and will eat things that are harmful to them.
Not many cats will do this, but some will.
I had a cat that kept licking flowers in a neighbors garden that would make him sick. My other cats knew not to do it, but he couldn’t help himself and would keep doing it.
The other problem is that cats will often eat insects almost accidentally. By this I mean, they aren’t taking the time to think about their actions.
They will eat a mosquito, fly, or some other flying insect while trying to play with it after they’ve caught it if it tries to fly away.
You may have seen your cat using their mouths to toy with prey they’ve caught. I’ve seen winged insects getting caught up in my cats mouth plenty of times and they’ve tried to shake it off but end up just eating it.
Related content – Why do cats eat flies?
Related content – Are Earwigs Harmful to Cats?
Are Mosquitoes Harmful to Cats?
In regards to being bitten, mosquitoes can pass diseases to cats if they bite them. They are less likely to bite cats than you, however, as there is less skin on show.
They won’t get through the fur of a medium to long fur cat so they will bite them on their face in most instances.
That’s something to be aware of, but for the purpose of this article, we’re looking at the dangers of cats eating mosquitoes.
It is only through biting that mosquitoes pass disease, not from being digested. So, for the most part it is safe for cats to eat mosquitoes.
I say the most part because there is always the chance of a cat getting sick from eating an insect or anything else that isn’t part of their regular diet.
There is no telling what or what insects have touched or been. So I’d recommend keeping an eye on your cat if you’ve seen them eat a mosquito in case they have a little sickness after.
Hopefully this article has helped put your mind at ease if you have mosquitoes where you live.
In summary – I’d try to limit the interaction between cat and mosquito where possible. But for the most part, there isn’t anything to be concered about.
