Can cats eat flies?
This cat blog will answer the main query, “Can cats eat flies?” we will also cover the reasons for cats chasing flies, the health hazards of consuming flies for your cat, and the health benefits of consuming flies for your cat.
Can cats eat flies?
Yes, cats can eat flies. It is healthy for your cat to consume flies because they act as a source of proteins for the cat. Consuming more and more flies can cause stomach upset, and toxicity and increases the parasite load on the body of your cat.
What are the major health benefits of consuming flies?
Following are the health benefits of consuming flies for your cat:
Source of Protein
The first thing is it acts as a source of protein for your cat. Consuming flies can give protein to your cat which your cat can use for its growth and development. Cats are obligate carnivore animals and they need animal protein to survive. Flies provide animal proteins to your cat although it is not quite enough for your cat to rely on them.
Immunity
The next thing is immunity. The flies can help your cat boost the immunity of the body. Boosting immunity will lead to the protection of the body from many deadly pathogens in the body.
Once the pathogen gains entry into the body, it can go straight to the lymph nodes and multiply there. If the immune system of the body is strong, it will eliminate the pathogen from the body.
What are the major health hazards of consuming flies for your cat?
Following are the health hazards of consuming flies for your cat:
Stomach upset
The first thing is stomach upset which is due to consuming more and more flies. Consuming more and more flies will cause stomach upset because the stomach of your cat is not adapted to digest a large amount of animal protein.
Following are the main clinical signs of stomach upset in your cat:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Decreased appetite
- Abdominal pain
Bacterial infection
The flies your cat consumes have many bacteria on them. The flies land on many surfaces which has numerous bacteria on them. If your cat manages to consume a large load of bacteria, it will cause problems for your cat. Many bacteria can cause a deadly infection in your cat.
Following are the clinical signs of bacterial infection in your cat:
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Decreased appetite
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Swollen lymph nodes
Parasitic infection
There are many parasites such as worms which a fly consumes over a day. These parasites can settle down in the gastrointestinal tract of the body which can cause gastroenteritis and other problems for your cat.
The worms can grow in the intestine of the cat and move to other organs of the body and multiply there and cause infection.
Following are the common clinical signs of worm infestation in your cat:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Rough coat
- Pica
- Weakness
- Emaciated body
- Abdominal pain
Skin infection
Many flies can penetrate the skin of the cat such as bot flies. These flies burrow in the skin of the cat and then lay their eggs there. When the eggs hatch and grow bigger, they move out of the burrow and make holes in the skin when they come out.
Why does your cat want to chase flies?
Your cat wants to chase flies because of the following reasons:
Curiosity
Cats are curious animals. They love to explore their environment. If they see an unusual thing they try to explore it. The same thing they do when they see flies. They chase the fly and try to catch it out of curiosity.
In this case, they might sometimes swallow it but that is accidental.
Predator
Cats are natural hunters. They love to hunt even if they do not want to eat anything. The same case they do with the flies. They try to hunt them down but do not want to consume them.
Hunger
The one basic reason why your cat wants to chase flies might be hunger. This is very common among stray cats but not very common among house cats.
What can you do if your cat ate flies?
If your cat ate flies you should wait until the clinical signs appear in your cat. If the clinical signs do not appear in your cat, your cat might be safe. If you see any clinical signs you should call your vet because he is the only one who can give you the best piece of advice.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “Can cats eat flies?” we also covered the reasons for cats chasing flies, the health hazards of consuming flies for your cat, and the health benefits of consuming flies for your cat.
