Can cats eat frogs? Cats generally don’t catch or eat frogs, however, depending upon the area that you might be residing in, frogs might be easily available for your cat to pounce on.
If you’re a cat owner and you’re worried about your cat getting sick by eating frogs too often, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to address whether it is normal and safe for your cats to eat frogs.
We’re also going to answer some of the other questions that cat owners have thrown our way which are whether tree frogs are poisonous to cats or if your cat can eat tadpoles without any consequences.
Table of Contents
Can Cats Eat Frogs – Is it Safe for Them?
Sometimes if you let your cat outside, it might stumble upon different types of frogs. Using their natural instinct, the cats would obviously try to chase and kill the frogs and sometimes eat them as well.
You might be scared that ingesting frogs partially or completely would harm your cat because of poisonous frogs but that’s most likely not the case. Most frogs are not poisonous, and therefore, do not contain any toxins.
With frogs you won’t have to worry as much as long as they are common frogs that are native to the area. All you need to do is try to keep the vicinity of your cat’s outdoor adventures away from toxic frogs. I recommend being on the safe side and keeping your cat indoors if you happen to have an abundance of frogs in the area.
Are Tree Frogs Poisonous to Cats?
There are different kinds of tree frogs and most of them are actually toxic. Toxicity means that when stressed, as a defense mechanism, they cover themselves in a slimy toxin, which can be poisonous for cats.
If your cat ends up licking or eating tree frogs especially green tree frogs, they will most probably end getting a minor stomach ache along with diarrhea and vomiting.
This is only because the amount of toxin that tree frogs contain is not fatal for our feline pets thankfully. But still to avoid a visit to the vet, you should try keeping your cat away from poisonous tree frogs.
Why Does My Cat Catch Frogs?
Simply put, cats are natural predators and their hunting instincts are charged when they see prey smaller than them. That is why whether they’re in front of crickets, bugs or frogs, they’re going to pounce at them. It is nothing to be worried about. It is absolutely normal.
However, one thing that you should be worried about are the poisonous types of frogs. If you really want your cats to stop chasing and catching frogs, you should keep an eye out on your cat when they’re out and about on their outdoor adventures.
Can Cats Eat Toads?
Unlike frogs, toads are a completely different topic. There are many different toxic species of toads found around the world in different areas.
If you let your cat out and it encounters a poisonous toad, it can be a very big problem. The toad will secrete the toxin on its back and your cat might try to kill and eat the toad. This toxin is much more concentrated than the toxin secreted by tree frogs.
It is so toxic that sometimes even death can occur. Your cat might experience seizures, foaming at the mouth, excessive vocalization, and other symptoms. If this occurs, you should take your cat to your veterinarian right away. Long story short, you should never allow your feline companion to eat a toad.
Do Cats Eat Tadpoles?
Generally speaking, cats do eat tadpoles if they’re available to them. However, the story becomes completely different when you talk about what type of tadpoles a cat can eat without medical consequences.
If the tadpoles are from a poisonous type of frog, then they can induce symptoms of stomach ache, diarrhea and other digestive problems in your cats, so try keeping your cats away from tadpoles to avoid any problems.
Final Thoughts
Although it is common for cats to hunt different smaller creatures including frogs, toads and tadpoles when they’re outdoors, keeping an eye on what your cat eats is very necessary in order to take proper care of their health, so the best option is to make sure you observe what your cat is putting in their mouth when it’s outdoors.
An even better option, in my opinion, is to keep your cat indoors at all times. Studies have shown that indoors cats tend to live longer than their outdoor counterparts. Plus, you won’t have to worry about them eating any slimy frogs or toads.
