restricted cats food causing her to go out and hunt

she always liked raw meat but recently shes been out of control

last winter she got really fat the vet said shes so over weight and should be put on a strict healthy died so i follwed the instructions and she did lost weight and got more healthy but she seems to be obessed with killing and eating her food now more then ever.

she chomps on rats like they are candy, i have never seen a cat so obessed with eating other animals

http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/cateyes221981/

she killed an unkown creature and judging by the size of its feet it is huge anyone know what this is, she did this yesterday then today i caught her chomping down on a rat in the driveway

i wonder if its common for cats to start doing this once u restrict their food

Cats are predators and females are generally the best of hunters. The only thing wrong with letting her outside to hunt is she could get into rodents who have been poisoned. She also is a candidate for worms as rodents carry fleas and fleas carry tapes. You have to decide if you want her to be an outside cat who hunts, or an inside cat where she is pampered and safe. IF you live out in the country, then you have to contend with other predators who are also after the rats. So it is your call. You can buy frozen dead mice that are parasite free that you thaw in warm water and feed to your cat. You can get these at good feed stores and pet stores. Just be sure they are parasite free.

Originally Posted by hissy

You can buy frozen dead mice that are parasite free that you thaw in warm water and feed to your cat. You can get these at good feed stores and pet stores. Just be sure they are parasite free.

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Some people complain that they get rodents that are freezer burnt - I don't want to know what that does to the taste of a dead rat...
If you truly want to let your cat have rodents and go this route, I suggest you look into a good online supplier. Searching reptile/snake forums should provide good or bad reviews for various suppliers. The only thing is that there are many who want a flat fee for packing and shipping, it's not cheap, so you have to get your box (order) pretty full.

I'm going to guess your kitty caught a gopher. Gopher remains always look weird and they're a larger sized rodent. If you don't mind her hunting her own food, make sure you get her wormed regularly. And, in the future, please be very careful about handling any carcasses. Fresh kills are safer, but if it's sat a while there are deadly bacteria that you risk exposure to.

Your other option is to read up on raw diets and consider supplementing her food with quality raw meats.

The toes are not that of a digging animal, more of a climbing animal, I'd say....maybe a squirrel? Hard to say when you only see the foot, LOL.

Eating whole prey is the healthiest diet for a cat, and a prey-model raw diet does not contribute to obesity in cats (especially if they catch it themselves!). So I wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure to de-worm her regularly.

Sorry, I can't figure out the animal. It does look quite large.

The pictures of the wolf paw print were very interesting. Is that on your property? Could the cat have gotten the wolf's or another predator's leftovers? Maybe she didn't kill it herself.

Could you feed her more raw meat, maybe she would eat less of her prey? You could adjust her calories to compensate, with a vets supervision of course. That's all I can think of, sorry it's not much help.

she wont eat anything unless shes killed it herself if she finds a dead animal or if i give her a dead chicken she wont touch it

that wasnt a wolf it turned out to be a big coyote that crossed my yard in the winter i live in the city or close to it

is it normal for cats to only want to eat what they kill maybe they like the meat still warm or something

Originally Posted by chausiefan

is it normal for cats to only want to eat what they kill maybe they like the meat still warm or something

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I think it's fairly common, actually. More so due to them wanting premade crunchy dry food in their dishes that is easier to eat. Maybe after hunting a cat is still a bit worked up and the drive to recognize and actually eat it is still there?

I've had several cats that caught and ate prey but wouldn't touch raw meat. I have one currently like that in fact - four days before I caught and brought her inside she killed a collard dove and stung feathers all over my backyard. She won't touch raw chicken.


I'd think the good thing to realize from her more natural predatory behavior lately is that she's healthy enough to be this active. With coyotes around, though, I do hope you keep her inside from dusk to early morning - if possible.

Another concern for cats who hunt is rabies. Be sure your cat is vaccinated before releasing her outside if that is what you decide. As for the frozen mice there are legit online suppliers which is the way to go.

well i found it it was the big black squirrel that use to hog my bird feeders now that hes gone the blue jay took over

anyone know how she kills them so fast without getting even a mark on her

Originally Posted by chausiefan

anyone know how she kills them so fast without getting even a mark on her

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She's a cat. Centuries of evolution to make them fairly efficient at catching prey.

I have one that I now think his wound last December when I caught him was not from another cat - it didn't look right. It would match up fairly well to a large scared rodent. I'm sure some cats get wounded in the hunting process - older rabbits and large rats can be tougher prey.