Raccoons have adjusted quite well to living in urban areas. These fluffy creatures are highly intelligent, yet meddlesome.

It is said that these animals can eat a variety of foods, both human food, and pet food, but how about cat food? Do raccoons eat wet cat food? This article explores this topic

Raccoons do eat wet cat food but this food is not recommended for raccoons. Cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of cats, not raccoons. Yes, cat food is a good source of protein but raccoons need other nutrients in order to live healthily. 

Do raccoons eat wet cat food?

Raccoons are opportunistic feeders, these animals will eat almost anything. They will even eat out of the trash if they have to, and they usually do.

They may be able to eat almost anything but this does not mean that they should. Eating an unbalanced diet can result in the animal becoming obese and developing other health problems. 

Cat food is reported to be a favorite food of raccoons, these animals may eat anything but it seems that these animals see cat and dog food as a real delicacy.

Wet cat food will definitely attract raccoons if left outside in the open.

Both wet cat food and dry cat food will attract raccoons. In fact, wet cat food is more desired by raccoons as it is soft and easier to eat, the smell of cat food is also stronger when it’s wet, it is better able to draw raccoons out 

Cat food and raccoon health:

Cat food is generally quite high in protein, raccoons benefit from having a diet that is rich in protein. That being said, cat food has been formulated for cats and their specific nutritional needs, not for raccoons.

Feeding cat food to raccoons will not deliver all the nutrients that raccoons need to survive. However, feeding raccoons small amounts of cat food won’t do any harm.

If you’re looking to feed raccoons a protein-rich diet, feed them a diet of eggs, chicken, nuts, turkey, fruits, and vegetables, 

Surprising effects of feeding raccoons cat food:

If you only feed your raccoon pet food, they can have trouble finding food when they’re released into the wild. To avoid this, feed the animal foods in their natural form. This will allow them to develop a hunting and scavenging technique.

If these animals begin to completely rely on humans for food, this will have a negative impact on the local ecosystem in ways that we humans are not even aware of.

In addition, constantly feeding raccoons cat food can cause the animal to develop illnesses as a result of a lack of vitamins and minerals needed for good health. 

Is cat food bad for raccoons? 

Cat food is not bad for raccoons but overfeeding these animals cat food, or any other food for that matter, can be bad for the overall population.

The animal population in nature is kept in check by the availability of food. If humans consistently feed wild animals food then the number of animals will increase.

This can cause the animal population to become unstable as the number of animals increases without an increase in the amount of natural food that the ecosystem offers. 

What should you not feed raccoons? 

As a pet owner, you have complete control over what your raccoon eats, if you’re feeding wild raccoons you have control over some of the animal’s diet. In both cases, it is important to know which foods are good for the animal and which foods aren’t. Foods that you should not feed raccoons include: 

Chocolate: This food contains theobromine which will speed up the animal’s heartbeat and derail their nervous system 

Avocados: The persin present in avocados can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and heart congestion in raccoons. 

Candies: This food can contain xylitol which can cause seizures, liver failure, and vomiting in raccoons. The sugars in this food can also destabilize your raccoon’s digestive system 

Onions and garlic: This food can cause anemia in raccoons as it contains disulfide and other sulfoxides. Onions and garlic can also damage the animal’s red blood cells. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, yes raccoons can eat wet cat food, raccoons find wet cat food to be a delicious and easy-to-find meal in suburbs.

That being said, cat food does not contain all the nutrients that raccoons need, this is because cat food has been formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats, not raccoons.

However, the occasional feeding of cat food to raccoons will not be bad for the animal.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other raccoon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do raccoons eat water hyacinth?, Do raccoons eat water lilies?, Do raccoons eat worms?, Do raccoons eat wood?, Do raccoons eat wild mushrooms?