Cats are usually great hunters and will enjoy catching a house centipede. However, as any cat owner can tell you, it is hard to watch the cats when they are busy playing and exploring in the house. So they might encounter a house centipede and can decide to eat it.
It would be best if you did not worry about it as it is not a huge deal. But this does not mean they are the perfect dinner for your cats.
You should only give the cat food available in the market if you are concerned about their health and want to provide them with a nutritional diet.
So, in general, it is much more likely that your cat eats house centipedes, but if your cat is young and centipedes are a little bit heavy and oversized, it might cause an upset stomach or issue of vomiting in your cat.
So you should keep reading this guide to know what you can do and if they are dangerous to your pet cat.
What Happens If A Cat Eats A Centipede?
Now, as you know, your cat can eat a centipede roaming in your house, but what happens after that, or is it alarming or concerning for you? It all depends on your cat; if it is still young and has a sensitive stomach, it will be more likely to start vomiting after eating the centipede.
So when you encounter such a situation, they might need your attention, and you should call your vet to ensure they are okay.
What happens when they eat a centipede:
- Eating centipedes do not affect too much to bigger cats or adult cats. So it might gross you out seeing them eating the centipede and other insects, but they will probably be fine.
- So you will be able to see them playing by themselves or running around the house happily as if nothing happened.
- However, centipedes are insects with poison in their body as they use it to catch other pests, but if your cat is strong, it might not affect your cat.
- But if you find your cat vomiting more than once, it might be alarming, as if they have eaten some poisonous insect.
So you should pay more attention to their health as they might also need some medical attention. So it would be best if you kept a watch on them and also pay attention to their behavior, so you can find out quickly whether there is something wrong with them or not.
As a pet owner, if you are going to see your cats eating centipedes, then you should make sure that it does not happen again and does not become a habit for your cats.
Are Centipedes Dangerous To Your Cat?
If your cat eats one of the centipedes, it is unlikely to have any issues or problems. However, as you know, they contain poison and can cause an issue for young cat owners if they bite them.
Biting can cause inflammation and a certain level of pain in the cats, and you should give it a look; if it is serious, you can take them to the vet for a proper checkup.
You must seek medical help immediately to stop the pain and swelling when this happens.
Some of them are not poisonous, but they can irritate your cat. You will not find the centipede bites deadly for your cat, but you should prevent them from biting your cat and ensure that they do not cause any problems to the cat.
Most centipedes are small and will not cause much harm, but you should not take any chances with them.
Do Cats Like To Eat Centipedes?
As you know, cats are hunters, so they like to chase, hunt, and eat almost all the insects found in the house, such as centipedes. The crawling and dashing insects intimidate the cats, who like to run after them to eat them.
They like to eat centipedes, spiders, and other insects. They do so when they are hungry or when they feel bored.
So it is not worrying for you even if they eat the insects like centipedes, but yes, they have poison, and if they bite cats, they can cause:
- Redness
- Itching
- Inflammation
- Swelling
It is also seen that in some cases where the cat’s digestive system is weak, it can cause problems with your pet’s stomach and intestines. So if your cat is eating centipedes, it is better to take precautionary measures or prevent insects from getting the insects.
Will Centipedes Hurt Kittens?
Centipedes are a common household pest, but these little guys carry venoms that could be painful if they bite your kitten. But they do not cause serious issues to your kitten if they eat them.
All your kittens will have digestion issues, which are easy to treat by giving some medication. But apart from it, there is no serious threat to your kittens by centipedes if bitten or even if your kitten eats them up.
Still, if you want your cat to be safe, you should prevent centipedes and insects from entering your house. They can be controlled by using chemical sprays and insecticides, which are available on the market.
You can use those to prevent centipedes from entering your house in the first place. Then, if you find them around, you can use bug catchers to catch them.
All these products are easily available in the market and have a good price. Eliminating centipedes is not easy, but it is not as difficult as controlling common ants and cockroaches.
Conclusion
In general, your cat will try to catch or chase the insects such as centipedes, and it is your duty to stop it from becoming a regular habit as it can be dangerous for their health if they eat something poisonous in doing so.
Thus to seek out the health of your cat, make sure you feed them on time so that they do not get hungry and try to eat insects out of hunger.
