Cockroaches are a common frustrating household pest. They sprint around our homes without an invitation.
Housecats are often fascinated by the scurrying nocturnal buggers, and sometimes chase them.
Therefore, in hopes of killing two birds with one stone, the question arises: do cats kill cockroaches?
- Cats don’t shy away or back down from cockroaches
- Cats are mesopredators and prefer to hunt down and kill sneaky pests
- However, cats don’t consider cockroaches their first food preference
Now you know that cats have the habit of hunting down cockroaches and then killing them. They aren’t going to get rid of a roach infestation, but that’s a help!
Let’s dig into it.
Do cats kill cockroaches?
As opposed to humans, cats don’t freak out at the presence of cockroaches. They commonly hunt after these creatures and prefer to kill them.
It’s easy to forget, but cats are cuddly murder machines.
It’s best to keep your expectations low if you’re relying on cats to help eliminate a cockroach infestation within your home. Although cockroaches are high-protein insects, cats don’t prefer this food source. This is due to the roaches’ hard exoskeletons.
Cockroaches aren’t nutritionally beneficial for cats. They carry all kinds of parasites and bacteria.
Cockroaches aren’t nutritionally beneficial for cats. They carry all kinds of parasites and bacteria.
Cats don’t attract cockroaches per se. But, it is fairly common to find roaches running around their food bowls and around the litterboxes. These locations as food sources for cockroaches, as a magnet for them, and can lead to roaches in your room or home.
The ideal approach is to keep the cat’s litterbox and food bowl clean and stored properly.
How do cats kill cockroaches?
Cats actively prey on cockroaches as soon as they spot them. A group of these sneaky pests trigger a cat’s hunting instincts. Yet, the question remains: does this mean that cats are good cockroach hunters?
There’s no solid proof of cats being real deterrents for cockroaches.
It is fairly common for cat owners to make videos of their pets playing around with cockroaches, whether dead or alive.
Do cats contribute to keeping cockroaches away?
The disgust for cockroaches is quite extensive among humans. I mean eww, they can get in your body! And, we’d embrace anything that keeps cockroaches away.
Felines have been known as a means of pest control for many years. Cat breeds have evolved which makes their hunting instincts particularly stand out.
An example of cats’ efficiency as a pest control was a case study about neighboring farm localities. Out of 5 farms, 4 consisted of cats to aid in pest control, while one of them didn’t.
The results were surprising. This is because the farms with cats as means of pest control were almost entirely pest-free. These farms also lacked the presence of rats and other forms of rodents.
This is essential because most animals or insects detect a cat’s ability to hunt and stay away from that danger.
This is essential because most animals or insects detect a cat’s ability to hunt and stay away from that danger.
As we may know, cockroaches have good instincts regarding danger. These sneaky household pests stay hidden as long as noise, light, or activity because they take these as signs of danger.
Similarly, cockroaches can consider all creatures bigger than them as dangerous (even rats!) and, therefore, prefer to avoid them.
If your cat is persistent enough, cockroaches may stop making the rounds to the home, automatically stopping their population from expanding. However, this method does not come with a guarantee and is merely based on some cat owner experiences.
Getting a cat is definitely not the best cockroach control method out there!
Indeed, a cat’s presence may scare the cockroaches for a while and perhaps make them more cautious of their surroundings. However, these sneaky creatures are perfectly capable of hiding away in the dark in areas where the cat can’t reach them.
Can my cat help me get rid of cockroaches?
Although cats can help scare the cockroaches away, this form of pest control isn’t that effective in the case of a real infestation. Additionally, if your cat is well-fed and mainly consumes nutritional, healthy food, it is not likely to eat cockroaches.
If your cat is well-fed and mainly consumes nutritional, healthy food, it is not likely to eat cockroaches.
Outdoor cats may be able to pose as a barrier to some animals or insects from getting into your backyard. Other uses of a cat could be if you’re growing a vegetable garden or crops because they can scare away birds and different rodents. Cats can also threaten cockroaches by scaring them away. However, this fear may not be enough to eliminate cockroaches.
It is fairly common for cats to chase after a cockroach and sometimes even kill one. However, this routine does not come with a guarantee. Domesticated cats who are well-fed don’t have a high drive to hunt. They are inconsistent hunters, making them an ineffective form of pest control.
Do cockroaches run away from cats?
As a survival instinct, cockroaches have evolved to become absolute pros at hiding. They use their size, agility, and tough exoskeleton to escape danger. They can squeeze into tiny spaces at initial signs of danger to protect themselves.
This is why it’s so difficult to get rid of these mini-monsters.
The extent to which cockroaches avoid cats remains a question. However, the common norm suggests that these cockroaches will likely wait for your house to be silent. Then emerge from their dark hiding spots.
They may also stay away from rooms that are commonly crowded.
Conclusion: cats kill some cockroaches!
Whether a cat will kill cockroaches depends on their genetics and upbringing. Some will act on their hunting instincts and play around with a cockroach after spotting it. Others will lack the motivation to hunt these creatures. This is due to their consistent and highly nutritional feed.
If you’re relying on a cat to eradicate a cockroach infestation, we’d suggest taking a professional pest control service.
While your cat may hunt a cockroach or two, it is not likely to help get rid of an entire army of these sneaky pests.
Cats are known for their hunting instincts and tend to kill cockroaches. But, this instinct is largely suppressed in domesticated, well-behaved cats. It may not benefit you in your cockroach-killing agenda.
