Do Cats Eat Birds? Understanding Cat-Bird Relationship!


Cats and birds are natural predator animals. As shown in cartoons, cats will stalk and pounce on birds if they have a chance, whether they are indoor or outdoor cats.

With such impolite behaviors, you might scratch your head. Why do they need to kill a bird while that bowl is completely full? Do they hunt for food? Do cats eat Birds? 

Well, read more to understand a few facts about its behavior before you conclude that your cat is just a cold-blooded killer. 

In this article, we put all related to your questions to help you know more about your cat drive. 

Let’s get started! 

 Is It Normal for Cats to Kill Birds?

Yes, it is normal for some cats, especially for domestic cats. Cats are one of the world’s most effective predators. Naturally, they like to pounce on and grab small things that wiggle and make noises. 

It is normal behavior because they are a natural instinct for why they can survive in the wild. 

Cats may not know that they are killing another creature for the first. They just know it is exciting and enjoyable. Later, they discover that it can be used as food. 

Female cats teach her kittens how to hunt, how to kill and eat prey animals. 

She often teaches her kitten by bringing back dead prey and giving her kitten to eat as she is the best hunter. 

However, not all cats are hunting. Some cats have been fed by humans since they are kittens, they never learn how to hunt on their own. These cats do not have a strong predatory instinct.

Do Cats Eat birds? Or Just Kill Them? 

Yes, cats do eat birds, but it doesn’t mean that all cats eat them.

Cats are natural predators of birds. They usually catch or kill small birds, rodents, and insects to satisfy their hunger

Some cats hunt birds for the sake of their food and also for entertainment. These behaviors are the result of their natural instinct drives. However, there are not all cats that eat birds. It depends on your own cats.

Some cats hunt not because they are hungry, but they may just want to exercise and improve their hunting skills. As result, those cats will not eat birds as they mature.

Is It Safe for Cats to Eat birds?

Yes, cats are safe from eating birds, but there are some pros and cons. As obligate carnivores, cats do best on a balanced whole-prey diet. They may digest the whole of a bird and derive various nutrients from each part.

On the other hand, while your cat could be fine after eating a bird, it does not mean they are good for them. It is harmful to your cat’s health in several cases.  

Raw birds are a high risk for them. It is a breeding ground for bacteria; which may cause an upset in your cat’s stomach. As a result, your cat may be vomiting, having diarrhea, and fever. 

In fact, cats are safe from eating a bird, but you should not allow them to eat brides. In some cases, your cat might be sick, even with a small number of raw birds, if they are not healthy. 

Do Cats Eat a Dead Bird? 

Yes, it depends on your own cats. Some cats will eat if they get them even if the dead bird or freshly killed by them.

As we know, cats are prey. They prefer mice, birds, and rodents to catch or kill them.

Sick or dead birds are very easy for them to catch. They are also excited about their success hunting and eat them afterward.

In this case, it is not only for outdoor cats that eat birds, but indoor cats also eat dead things if their owner does not feed them right enough. They need to eat a dead bird to survive.

How to Keep Cats From Eating Birds

Naturally, cats need types of challenges every day. They always hunt small animals by instinct and eat them. It is hard to stop them from doing this.

Therefore, If you are concerned about them eating birds or dead birds. There are several points that you can use to stop them:

Provide Them with Enough Food

It is on your response, you must be sure that you provide to them enough and full all time. While they are full, they will be less likely to go kill or catch the animal.

Stop Letting Your Cat Outside

Keeping it indoors would be the best thing to do as it will prevent it from killing birds and other wildlife, especially during dark or nighttime. The nighttime is the best time for cats to “Hunting”.

Make Time to Playing with Them

Play can help your cat no time to hunt. It also can help your cat to express its nature of hunting, especially for cats who live exclusively indoors.

Play is not only for fun but also to keep your cat healthy and reduce its stress.

Give them Toys

Offer your cat some toys. Your cat can simulate bird hunting with the aid of toys or balls. It may keep them busy and prevent them from having time to kill the bird.

Again, we cannot stop them from hunting because it is their natural instinct, but we can prevent them from eating birds or dead things.

However, all of the points might not work smoothly if you let your cat outside, chances are they will return to hunting and eating animals. 

Finally Thought:

Do cats eat birds? Yes, they do. As they are one of the world’s most effective predators. They usually catch or kill small birds, and rodents, and eat them afterward.

However, some cats might not eat birds.  They hunt the birds just for enjoyment and to improve their hunting skill.

Finally, the best thing to stop your cat from eating birds is to keep them indoors, play with them, provide them with enough food and give them toys. 

Thanks for your time reading this article!

Daney Hak

I’m a passionate cat mom and pet lover. Apart from being a cat owner, I’ve spent many years of my childhood around them. In my experience, I’ve learned the importance of understanding your cat to be able to cater to them adequately. Thank you so much for your time.

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