You can try as hard as you might to feed your cat a strict diet of pet food but sometimes their animal instincts kick in and they catch a wild rat, squirrel bird or another small wild animal. In some cases, your feline friend will eat the squirrel whole leaving only the bushy tail, in other cases your pet may only eat the squirrels head. So why do they do this? Why do cats eat squirrel heads? This article looks into it.

Cats eat squirrel heads because the head is dense with nutrients. The brain is very protein-rich and filled with other nutrients that the cat will benefit from. In addition, the squirrel’s eyes and tongue also offer good amounts of protein to the cat. Unfortunately, the squirrel’s mouth can, and usually does, contain a lot of bacteria.

Why do cats eat squirrel heads?

The grey matter and other proteins make up the brain and head of a squirrel, this is enticing to cats. The squirrel’s brain is nutrient-rich and the eyes and tongue are protein-filled. Also, because squirrels are always eating nuts their head is flavoured with the various foods they ate last. This is why cats don’t pass up the chance to eat a squirrel’s head.

The downside of cats eating squirrel heads, as well as squirrel bones, is that the bones are a high-risk choking hazard to cats, not to mention a wild squirrel’s mouth is often laced with high amounts of bacteria which may have a negative effect on your domestic cat.

Do squirrels carry diseases to cats?

Yes, squirrels carry diseases to cats. Squirrels bodies often serve as host carriers of many communicable diseases, like the plague, leptospirosis, rabies, and encephalitis.

Even other parasitic insects and bacteria living in its fur could stir up intestinal and immune system problems in cats. Since these diseases are communicable a squirrel carries these diseases over to cats when eaten. So, like me, you may want to think twice about letting your cat eating wild squirrels.

Is it normal for cats to eat squirrels?

Yes, it’s it normal for cats to eat squirrels. Cats are related to lions and its natural for them to hunt, prowl as part of their daily lives. It’s normal and comes naturally for cats to eat squirrels.

Though most domestic cats don’t do much hunting since they already have a source of food. It’s not uncommon or unheard of for cats to feel in the mood for some hunted prey if it comes their way.

Can humans get sick from squirrels?

Our cats are members of our household, they are beloved family to us. Much like the flu or any communicable illness when a member of our family gets sick, we all feel it and are at risk of catching it from them. So yes, humans can get sick from squirrels

Also, wild squirrels tend to parade through your home and will stake out territory, bringing with them the risk of you contracting whatever communicable disease they may have. Wild squirrels are high risk for us, humans, to get sick from.

Are squirrels as dirty as rats?

Squirrels and rats may both be mammalian rodents who love to scurry around. However, they belong to a different scientific animal family. Squirrels belong to Sciuridae family.

Wild rats can infect our pets and us and have done so several times in the past. Squirrels can and have infected humans before but not as often. Squirrels don’t create holes in our buildings, settle in our shoes or pee close to the food they eat, but rats do. In the end, squirrels are not nearly as dirty or bad as rats.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cats eat squirrel heads because of the dense amount of nutrients in it. The eyes and tongue offer large amounts of protein and the brain is enticing to the cat. Cats hunting and eating squirrels is normal.  

The danger around cats eating squirrels is the spread of disease like the plague, leptospirosis, rabies, and encephalitis. Unfortunately, squirrels can carry these diseases to humans as well but thankfully not as often as rats can and do.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can squirrels eat rabbit food?, Why Are squirrels so cute?, Can you neuter a squirrel?, Do rabbits and squirrels get along?