When they do, your cat (s) could have a fatal encounter with this reptile. Snakes are tough creatures the larger they get. If a cat comes across a wild or captive snake, one of two things could happen: The cat might immediately become defensive, or it might decide to kill the snake for food or sport. Some cats may even eat the snake if they are hungry enough. There are of course snakes that not only can and will attack a cat, but they will also try to eat them. As you watch her bury herself in the grass, you notice that your cat is actually watching a snake! If you click and buy we may make a commission, at no additional charge to you. Cats and snakes do not get along and they may even kill each other because theyre in stiff competition with each one. They also consume ticks, fire ants, and have a very low occurrence of rabies - a cool animal to have around. This debris is then transferred into the bloodstream of a snake and ultimately kills it. When hunting small animals like rats, for example, the bobcat will lie in wait and pounce on the first unlucky or careless rat that wanders too close to it. Keeping your cat inside, eating a healthy diet and only interacting with other cats or dogs that have been properly vaccinated is the best way to keep your cat happy and healthy. Cats are among the list that will kill for fun because they love catching, then pawing, and playing with a mouse until it is dead. Do Cats Kill Snakes? Lets not forget that it is also our responsibility to keep our feline overlords safe from snakes and deal with a snake situation in our yard on our own. 2.Ratels or honey badgers are famous for their snake killing abilities, grabbing a snake behind the head in their powerful jaws and killing it. Do Cats Kill Snakes? If they get the chance, they will also eat lizards and other snakes. Cats are bigger than their prey in this case, so a win is fairly certain. Researchers have found that the reason why cats are more likely to survive a venomous snake bite is the fact that dogs and humans have faster clotting blood. Because of this, you should be more careful with stray cats in your area. Theres no need to panic. In fact, numerous critters have shown a honey-badger-like moxie when it comes to weathering the effects of chemical weapons. Mountain lions, bobcats, wolves, coyotes, horses, and even dogs have all been bitten by venomous snake and become sick. About Us | Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure | Terms | Contact 2022 BetterWithCats. That being said, it is very risky for a cat to tangle with a snake, especially a venomous one. At the end of the day, the last thing you want to happen is to find both animals attacking and hurting each other! Bobcats have been known to kill prey eight times their own size. Yes, these two animals will attempt to attack one another in most cases if they feel threatened. If my cat has an altercation with a snake, is it an emergency? Proper training and handling can help many fearful cats overcome their fear of snakes. Small snakes are easy prey. This can lead to snakes whipping their bodies around and biting. Many factors contribute to why a cat may hate snakes. Common North American snakes are more likely to be afraid of cats than tropical boas would be. Nonetheless, there are certain things about cats that can help keep snakes away, intentionally and not. It is best to keep these animals separated. Cats Are Surprisingly Bad at Killing Rats Over a 79-day period, feral felines killed just two rats, instead opting to hunt less challenging prey Meilan Solly Associate Editor, History September. (Supplied: Snake Catcher . Regardless of why your cat is killing snakes, its best to keep cats away from snakes. I mean we all know what curiosity did to that one cat and we dont want any of that! Cats will actively hunt snakes, and snakes will actively avoid cats. Because these species are quite common, they will have a good chance of getting close enough to a cat to try and eat it. Another way a cat can kill any type of snake is simply from stress. They will stalk and circle their prey, and this can make it hard for snakes to escape. Cats are predators, and they will attack other animals around the garden, including snakes. If a snake is provoked or cornered it wont hesitate to strike and injure a cat, even killing it especially if its the venomous kind. Of course, not all cats are the same, but their calculated strikes, cautiousness, and great reflexes help them avoid attacks and deal a killing blow to most snakes. For this reason, they were often hired on ships and farms as mousers and for the overall pest control. Can Male Cats Recognize Their Own Kittens? Cats are extremely agile and fast. Eating a snake is not really dangerous for your cat, no matter how big or venomous the snake is. No, unfortunately not. However, most of the time these snakes are much too tough and powerful for your average cat to even bother with. When it comes to movement speed, cats are a clear advantage and with top speeds of 30 miles per hour even the slowest cat still moves much faster than even the fastest snake. Research has also shown that cats are twice as likely to survive a venomous snake than dogs, and if theyre given anti-venom treatment. try to escape, 2). They will attempt to slither away or attack if they feel threatened, however. In most cases snakes will only attack your cat if they feel threatened. A study suggests that cats can exhibit individual, or between-phenotype, variation in hunting behavior, and continue to hunt specific prey types even when these prey become scarce. So, if your kitty has an eye for snakes they will hunt them down every time they get an opportunity, but if they prefer other kinds of prey, they will avoid snakes. Even though cats have the skillset to avoid a venomous snake, it is extremely risky for cats. You see similarly to cats, snakes are carnivores, and they usually eat other reptiles, rodents, birds, and rabbits, basically what cats go for. If a cat eats a snake, there may be complications if it is poisonous. The cat's stealthy method of approaching prey when hunting would also be suitable for attacking a snake. If a cat is unfortunate enough to encounter a venomous snake it can potentially kill a cat in a matter of minutes especially if its the deadly kind. Do Cats Keep Snakes Away? Take a photo of the snake or take into account its appearance so you can give a detailed description to your veterinarian. On the contrary, cats are predators by nature and view hunting as a game. Will a cat try to eat a snake? But if a cat is hungry or works up an appetite while theyre playing with a snake, then they will most certainly end up eating it. Natural hunting abilities are one thing, but whether your cat can actually kill a snake is another matter entirely. If the snake is not poisonous or venomous, the worst-case scenario is that your cat gets an upset tummy or infection. However, there are larger snakes that eat cats such as boa constrictors and pythons, making cats prey as well. If they live indoors, they can be trained to hunt and catch indoor prey such as rodents, insects or other small animals. No, its a false tale that cats are immune to poisonous bites by venomous snakes. While cats are bitten slightly more often than dogs 52 per cent compared to 44 per cent, according to a study in the Australian Veterinary Journal - their rates of survival are 91 per cent with . Instead, they exposed dog and cat blood in test tubes to venom from 11 snake species and found the dogs' blood clotted . If your cat tries to chase a snake, it will only bite the snake if it gets caught in its mouth. If your kitty is interested in chasing snakes this constant danger might keep these slithering creatures away. Cats are known predators of wild animals, so they will eat any rodents that are trying to make your yard a home. Snakes can also hit and strangle your cat with their bodies though bites are more common. Be careful when approaching your cat so that it will not run away. In general, cats keep away from snakes but sometimes the snake slithers into the house and ends up on your cats prey list. Feral cats are more likely to eat snakes than pet cats. If a snake is around your home in your bathroom, garage or other places that you wouldnt normally go into and touch, it is a good idea for you to leave them alone so that the snakes can be left alone and have enough room to move around without being bothered by your cat. Thats why he adds that cucumbers look enough like a snake to have the cats instinctive fear of snakes kick in. This basically explains all those viral videos of cats jumping up when presented with a cucumber. The smell of cat urine may also dissuade snakes from staying around, but theres not enough data to support it. Having cats around adult birds is a good thing in most cases: cats will hunt and kill any mice that are attracted to fallen feed, thereby helping to keep away other predators like snakes or weasels that may be attracted to the same prey. Since cats love to hunt for wriggling and slithering creatures, most are agile and smart enough to catch, kill and even eat snakes. If you are seeing this, then your competitors are also seeing this. I have read that they actually have the highest kill rate of any species of cat in the world - higher than lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, anything. It depends on the size of the snake and whether the cat is big enough to take it down. However, for most cats, even one encounter with a venomous snake is enough to make them afraid of snakes for life. They will feed on everything available in their immediate environment including venomous snakes. My Cat Has Worms! Unlike other non-venous water snakes, water moccasins typically stand their ground when threatened and open their mouths earning them the name cottonmouths. Venomous snakes will sink toxins into your cats skin when they bite. For example, there are a number of species of snakes, such as the green snake and the southeastern corn snake, which are quite common in your area. Some cats have even been raised in an environment where they never interacted with a snake before. When it comes to speed, cats beat snakes (they can reach top speeds of 30 mph). Cats use different hunting techniques to get to their prey. Contact Us: (800) 709-3572 Want To Send Us A Letter? There is a multi-antivenin to treat a variety of snake bites. If youre worried that a stray snake is around your house or your neighborhood is overrun with them, dont pick up a reptile as long as its not struggling. If your cat has access to a snake in the home, it is important to keep them separated at all times. Rattlesnakes, a common backyard snake, can reach speeds of up to 3mph while other snake species can reach speeds of up to 12mph). BetterWithCats.net does not intend to provide veterinary advice. However, we still recommend maintaining your yard by keeping the grass cut short and clutter to a minimum to keep snakes at bay. A cat might try to eat a snake but most cats attack snakes without an intention to eat them. Cats regularly weigh about 10lbs, but rattlesnakes' weight ranges between 5lbs and 10lbs, and the latter is rarer unless the snake is especially large. A cat can, with no great effort, tear up a small snake. 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