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A cat will hunt and eat just about anything that crawls, including hard-shelled insects like beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers.
You must have seen cats chase plenty of bugs and flies as crunchy, delicious snacks. However, it can be a little frightening to discover that these insects could be toxic to the cat’s digestive system.
Do disgusting roaches infest your home, and you feel they’re threats to your cats? Would you love to keep your dear cats away from cockroaches?
Keep reading this article for more information. But firstly, let’s answer the main question.
Do Cats Eat Cockroaches?
Yes! Cats eat cockroaches. Many cats love hunting and may stalk roaches for hours, waiting for them to emerge from their nests. However, if your cat no longer considers cockroach hunting an enjoyable game, it may become bored.
If your cat is starving, they may decide that hunting and playing with the cockroaches are insufficient; they may eat them. It’s nothing to worry about if your cat eats a cockroach now and then.
However, if your cat eats cockroaches continuously, its digestive system may suffer because roaches’ exoskeletons are tough for your cat to chew, so they may swallow it whole.
Although a cockroach is a good source of protein and B12, it’s filthy and can carry diseases that make your cats sick.
Do Roaches Eat Cat Urine And Poop?
Roaches find strong odors attractive because of their need to obtain food. Therefore, if you don’t clean your litter box regularly, the smell of cat urine can attract roaches to your house.
In general, most cat litter does not attract roaches to your home. However, dirty litter boxes and biodegradable waste can attract cockroaches to your house or pet homes.
Cockroaches feed on open cat excrement and are attracted to the smell of urine. Therefore, keep your litter box clean to discourage cockroaches from infesting your house.
Can Cats Get Worms From Eating Roaches?
Usually, stomach worms live in cats’ intestines. However, cats become infected when they ingest the vomit of infected pests.
Although stomach worm infection is rare in the United States, you can still find them in stray cats and families or facilities with many cats.
Ingesting crickets or cockroaches can cause cats to become infected with stomach worms. Cats can also get infected by eating a transport host, such as a mouse eating an infected cricket or cockroach.
Symptoms of stomach worms in cats include vomiting, weight loss, and Lethargy. A veterinarian can identify these worms by looking at the afflicted animal’s vomit and feces.
Can Cats Get Sick From Roaches?
Although cats are usually unaffected by hard-bodied insects such as roaches, ingesting their exoskeletons can induce mouth discomfort and gastrointestinal distress.
Roaches sometimes feed on the outer skin of cats, dogs, and other pets. They will not do this unless they are starving and have exhausted all other options.
If cockroaches decide to disturb your household pet, the roach bites may cause your animal to itch and scratch themselves, which may cause cat infection.
Furthermore, roaches contain parasites that can harm cats. Therefore, you need to keep your cat on a monthly deworming treatment.
Do Cats Smell Roaches?
A cat has a sense of smell that is 14 times better than humans. A cat has 70,000 smell receptors, while humans have 20,000 receptors.
Cats can also taste smells with Jacobson’s organ– a sensory organ located at the back of their mouths. Cats push air molecules to Jacobson’s organs by holding them with their tongue. This action helps them to smell any roaches around them.
In addition, roaches emit a stinky odor that worsens over time because they accumulate uric acid in their fat. According to the NSF, roaches store waste nitrogen in the uric acid form rather than excrete it like other insects.
They release this acid when they die, generating a foul odor. Furthermore, dead roaches emit oleic acid, making them smell even worse. Therefore, your cats can smell cockroaches easily because of their irritating stench.
How Can I Keep Cats Away From Roaches?
Cat food bowls are an attractive food source for many American cockroach species. And this is where a cat is likely to come across them.
As a result, cat owners must do all possible to keep roaches out of their cats’ food. Natural oils that repel cockroaches, such as various types of powerful cinnamon or pepper oil, can be used.
These odors may irritate the cat, but they are more likely to get rid of the roach than the cat. You may also use various DIY pesticides. However, your cat may die if it eats a cockroach sprayed with pesticides.
Unfortunately, because their hunting drive is usually too great, cat owners are unlikely to learn their cats to avoid cockroaches. Therefore, it’s better to employ a pest-control expert by following the guidelines below:
Schedule appointment:
As a property owner, you must locate a pest-control specialist who can handle a roach infestation and set up a treatment plan. The professionals will ask you to vacate your residence during this time.
Discard all infested food:
As a cat owner, you must get rid of any roach-infested food in the house (even cat food) and toss it away before treatment professionals arrive.
Look for a place to stay:
During the pest-control treatment, everyone in the house, including their cat, will need to go somewhere else to avoid getting sick from the pesticide.
Repeat this process:
If roaches are still present in your home or the cat house, then you’ll have to repeat the treatment. Repetition is necessary, as cockroaches are difficult to eradicate because of their tough exoskeleton.
Therefore, getting numerous treatments to get rid of roaches is usually the best option.
Are Roaches Dangerous?
Cockroaches aren’t usually dangerous like some wild insects, but they are hazardous in some other ways:
Food contamination:
Cockroaches constantly crawl about in many kinds of decaying materials, including dead plants, dead animals, feces, and hair.
Then they crawl around in kitchens, eating the leftover food items. They also leave their feces, urine, and empty eggshells in the food, causing awful contamination.
Disease-causing bacteria:
Cockroaches spew their saliva and digestive fluids on food while crawling around in the kitchen, depositing germs and bacteria from their intestines.
Humans can develop urinary tract infections, intestinal difficulties, and sepsis due to this unhealthy transmission.
Allergies and Asthma:
Cockroach allergens can cause allergic reactions such as skin rashes, sneezing, and watery eyes. In addition, when cockroach allergens are present, asthmatics are more prone to experience attacks.
How Common Is A Cockroach Allergy?
According to the National Pest Management Association, cockroach allergens are in about 63 percent of houses in the United States. This proportion jumps to between 78 percent and 98 percent of dwellings in metropolitan regions.
If you’re allergic to cockroaches, an allergist can test you, or you can look out for allergy symptoms like sinuses, nasal congestion, coughing, skin rash, and ear infection.
How Do I Keep Roaches Out Of Cat Food?
When you leave canned or dry food out for your cat to eat during the day, it attracts unwanted insects like cockroaches. You don’t want these pests around you or your cat’s food since they bring diseases. Follow the steps below to keep roaches away.
Feed your cats in bug-proof bowls:
You can buy a bug-deterrent bowl online or from a pet supply store. These dishes have many features that make it difficult for bugs like roaches to climb inside them and eat your cat’s food.
Some dishes have a rounded tip that makes it harder for other insects to crawl into the bowl and access the food inside. Other cat plates are elevated from the ground using a small stool.
Distribute Cat-Safe Repellents:
According to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, roaches dislike cucumbers because they operate as natural repellents. To safely repel cockroaches, boil cucumber peels and lay them near or around your cat’s bowl.
Endeavor to Store food properly:
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommends you keep roaches out of dry cat food. Always store it in an airtight plastic or metal container.
You can also store the food in re-sealable plastic bags or glass jars to keep bugs out. These containers will not only keep the bugs out, but they will also keep your cat’s food fresh.
Please keep it in the cupboard until you’re ready to use it when it comes to canned cat food. Refrigerate unsealed canned food to prevent rot and to keep bugs like roaches away.
Conclusion
Cats often eat cockroaches to satisfy their hunting drive. Sometimes, they stalk roaches for food when they’re starving. Although eating cockroaches is unlikely to hurt your cat, their tough exoskeletons could cause digestive problems.
You should prepare to keep an eye on your cat if it consumes a cockroach because roaches contain parasites that can harm cats. Therefore, you need to keep your cat on a monthly deworming treatment.
If you find your cat coughing or vomiting, contact your veterinarian or poison control center and inform them that your cat recently ate a cockroach.
