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All cats are predators by nature, especially a Bengal cat. However, the question here is whether or not Bengals actually eat what they catch, particularly mice. Here we will try out best to cover the following:
Four thousands of years many cats were specifically bred for their value in devouring rodents that would often infest village grain bins. It was a very common practice in ancient Egypt to breed cats just for mousing duties. However, people started admiring other cat traits and eventually the domestic cat became family members. As cats become more domesticated, some of their prey drive and hunting skills did decline and that means not all cats are very good modern mousers. However, Bengals tend to still have the stamina it needs for hunting and are often quite good when it comes to hunting mice and sometimes other small animals. This means it’s always a pretty good idea to keep smaller animals you might have away from your Bengal.
Even though cats may have a strong instinct for hunting, especially Bengals, if they are never given the opportunity to hunt when they are in their early years, they often may never really develop a taste for the “sport”. Some cats are even afraid of rats and big mice. However, if your Bengal does develop a taste for the hunt, it is something they will always have. This means that they not only will go after rats and mice but could also become such avid hunters they may start attacking the birds in the neighborhood and this could actually have a huge impact on your local bird population.
A lot of cats, including Bengals simply hunt for the thrill of it and not as a source of food. Sure, being hungry can increase their predatory drive, but their desire to hunt really doesn’t mean they’re hungry. Often it is just done as a sport and quite often they will bring back their trophy and offer it as a gift to their pet parents.
Wonder if your Bengal is a good mouser or not? Here are a few things to consider when trying to figure that one out:
On the average, most Bengals as well as other domestic cats, that tend to love to hunt for prey, find it an exciting game of hunt and seek. Because their hunting instincts are still a vital part of their overall personality, they often remind pet parents of being “mighty hunters”. This, they can be, for sure. However, if your Bengal is well taken care of and is fed the right food with all the nutrients they require, more than likely they are not going to have any desire to eat the mice that they catch.
Here’s a video of a Bengal cat playing with a mouse that it hunted down and caught:
Your Bengal might hunt mice, play with them, and finally when tired of the game will kill them leaving them as a gift to you. But, your Bengal more than likely will far less desire to eat their prey.
So, there you have it. Does this help answer your question about whether or not Bengal cats eat the mice they catch? Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
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