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Can eating mice make cats sick?
Sex & Intimacy / 11:12 PM - Tuesday September 14, 2010

Can eating mice make cats sick?

My mom told me that my male cat has been wanting her to put him all day today and has been acting kind of sick sleeping all day etc. Well i looked out on our back porch because he wanted outside their was a mouse body but no head.He has his rabies shots and he has eaten them before. I feed him a lot of food but i guess he is still hungry.

Update: September 15, 2010.
We live right next to a forest and we live in a apartments complex.but my cat always goes out to the forest at night and he brings them to the porch.

- Asked by carolcarr, A Thinker, Female, 22-25, Tampa

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Cats love mice. A mouse is a perfect meal for a cat; it has proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, calcium, so on. A cat will eat a mouse, crunch the bones, and may leave the tail or just the front of the head. Some people say a mouse makes a cat have poop that smells bad - probably true. If your cat wants to go out, he just wants to hunt - a mouse, small lizard, small bird, whatever. Let him at it.

- Response by betterbird, A Creative, Male, 46-55, San Francisco, Administrative

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All depends on the mouse, It might have been poisoned with mice baits. If he's no better by tomorrow, it would pay you, to take him, to the Vet. I wish you and your cat the best and have a great night..

- Response by oldman52, A Mr. Nice Guy, Male, 56-65, Sydney, Retired

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eating mice can ONLY make cats sick if those mice have diseases, like sewer mice.

My parents live on a BIG 13-acre farm and have a chicken house, 4 car garage and a large 2-story big red barn.
they HAVE TO keep a few cats around to keep the rodents away.

Mom has 13 Barn Cats right now... they kind of just keep breeding. she leaves cat food out for them as well, they do a great job killing Mice, Moles, Shrews and the occasional squirrel and birds.

It is what cats are MEANT TO DO.
they will get SICK from eating a SICK mouse, only.

in the good clean country, this RARELY happens.

in the city where there are sewer varmints and more Rabies....more likely, I'd say.


A Cat's instincts is to be a predator and hunt prey.
It's NOT that he's hungry, maybe he needs more toys or to be played with a LOT more! They LOVE the hunt, to chase, to paw at, to taunt a small critter.

If no toys, they will go hunt. yep. He's entertaining himself!

A laser pointer is GREAT! they chase after the red dot, you can sit on your bum and just flick your wrist a bit!

- Response by discotrash, A Career Woman, Female, 29-35, Las Vegas, Other Profession

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If the mouse is infected you cat can get sick.

- Response by vitamin, A Life of the Party, Male, 36-45, Mexico City, Financial / Banking

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Cats killing and chewing up mice isn't about them being hungry. It's about going with their natural instincts for hunting. And if you find dead critters at your doorstep, literally at the foot of your doorstep, it is meant to be a present and that your cat is very happy.

- Response by msadvise, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Transportation

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Not sure about the mouse, but can you tell me WHY our cat would always put a dead bird on our front porch?

- Response by kismet331, A Thinker, Female, 36-45

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Most "House" cats have no desire to eat a mouse. In the eyes of a cat a mouse is a kinda play thing to chase and bat around with paws. He may well have eaten the mouse head be I assure you that was NOT the cats intent. Don't worry about it just be more careful in the future about your cat being outside.... :))

- Response by undercoverguy, A Mr. Nice Guy, Male, 46-55, Retired

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Think about it...cats are DESIGNED to eat mice. He's fine; maybe just full. Raw mice are harder to digest than processed cat food.

- Response by A Sweet Sarah, Female, 56-65, Who Cares?

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If mice could make cats sick, there probably would be no living cats, as we speak today.

Your cat might be feeling under the weather, but it is not due to eating a mouse. :)

- Response by randyl, A Thinker, Female, 36-45, Los Angeles, Technical

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If your cat brings a mouse or a bird or a bunny rabbit to your front steps, it is a present for you. The cat is honoring you and bringing you a gift.

If your kitty cat is under the weather from the mouse, it's just that it isn't used to eating that type of diet. Kitty will come around after a day or two and be just fine! Enjoy him and praise him for the gift he brought you! :)



- Response by raynonme, A Trendsetter, Female, 46-55, Managerial

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I read once that a single mouse contains 100% of a cat's daily nutritional requirements. I would not think the mouse made him sick, unless the mouse had ingested something nasty, like D-Con.

- Response by rhonda35, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Who Cares?

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I lost a cat due to the fact that she had been eating mice who had been eating warfarin-laced food.

- Response by myrtletyrtle, A Cool Mom, Female, 46-55, Who Cares?

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Not unless the mouse was carrying some sort of illness. Domesticated cats don't hunt for food, they hunt for pleasure; they are one of the few creatures that do that Chances are you are feeding him plenty, but he just enjoys the hunt and playing with the mouse. Cats are evil that way.

- Response by A Creative, Male, 29-35

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have not heard of mice killing cats unless they are plagued.

- Response by amandasboy, A Father Figure, Male, Who Cares?, Other Profession

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