Cats are obligate carnivores. They are naturally designed for hunting and eating their prey to acquire total nutritional requirements from it. Cats in homes have been softened by domestication in both character and feeding. Learning what wild cats eat helps us make the best nutritional choices for your cat. What do wild cats eat? Please read on to find out.
What wild cats eat?
Wild cats get their nourishment from meat. They hunt and feed on their prey for nourishment. Each cat species in the wild has its preferred prey. The choice of prey depends on factors such as the prey available, hunting skills, and individual preference. Cats naturally prey on animals smaller than them. On rare occasions, felines may hunt prey that is slightly larger than them. Mice are the most common choice of food for cats. However, cats have a larger variety to choose from when it comes to feeding. These include:
- ∙ Rodents such as rats and mice
- ∙ Birds such as robins and sparrows
- ∙ Insects such as grasshoppers, lizards, spiders, and snakes
Cats can hunt even the tiniest insects in large numbers to meet their nutritional demand. Cats are diverse feeders and, on rare occasions, feed on bats, squirrels, and moles. Felines also feed on their prey whole from muscles, bones, skin, organs, and even fur.
How to feed your cat like a wild cat
While most commercial feeds for cats are healthy, they are higher in carbs, unlike meat eaten by their wild counterparts. You should, therefore, prioritize feeds rich in proteins and fats to carbs. Wild cats also do not indulge in any plants. Withdrawing grains, fruits, or vegetables from your kitty’s meal brings its diet closer to a wild cat’s.
Conclusion
As you mull over, “What do wild cats eat?” consider that your kitty’s diet could be a bit different from that of its counterparts in the wild. Domestication affects your cat’s feeding behavior by bringing it closer to humans’.