Why is this normal for snakes but not for cats?

Do you ever wonder why it’s normal for people with pet snakes to feed whole prey?

Snakes are carnivores in the wild so why wouldn’t pet snakes eat the same diet?

But what about cats?

Cats are carnivores too. Feral cats eat whole prey like mice, rats, birds, rabbits, etc.

So why is it normal for pet snakes to eat whole prey?

But it isn’t normal for pet cats to eat whole prey?

Pet cats vs pet snakes in the US

First, how many people have pet cats and snakes in the US?

According to the AVMA’s 2022 Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook, 26% of households have pet cats and 1.4% have pet reptiles.

That’s a huge difference. But apparently, over 333 million people were living in the US in 2022.

So we have roughly 86.6 million cat parents and over 4.6 million reptile parents.

Fewer pet reptiles. But 4.6 million is still a lot of people!

How to care for pet snakes, according to the AVMA

Now let’s see what the AVMA says about selecting a pet reptile.

First, they talk about what makes reptiles special.

Things like proper environment, interesting appearance and behavior, excellent adaptations.

And some reptiles only eat once a week which makes them easier to care for.

So AVMA, what do reptiles eat?

“Make sure you are able to feed the reptile you select an appropriate diet; for example, you should not get a carnivorous snake if you know you will not be comfortable feeding it meat such as mice or rats.”

Well isn’t that interesting? Very normal and blasé.

Snakes are carnivores. They need to eat meat such as mice or rats.

How to care for pet cats, according to the AVMA

Let’s see what they have to say about selecting a pet cat.

Very similar to reptiles pointing out what makes cats special.

Things like entertaining antics, affectionate behavior, easy to house train, and relatively low maintenance.

Feeding is mentioned in the special needs section. However, it’s not as upfront and specific as it is with reptiles.

I am happy they mention the importance of exercise, play, and keeping a clean litter box.

“Cats need high quality food…” is all the AVMA says on this page. But they don’t go into detail.

Very interesting. I thought cats were carnivores too?

No mention of a specific diet or that they are carnivores.

VCA Hospitals also has guides on feeding pet snakes and feeding your cat well.

How to feed snakes, according to VCA Hospitals

For snakes, VCA Hospitals wastes no time.

The first heading…

“What do snakes eat? All snakes are carnivores… Some eat warm-blooded prey (e.g., rodents, rabbits, birds), while others eat insects, amphibians (frogs or toads), eggs, other reptiles, fish, earthworms, or slugs.”

Again, very normal and blasé. Straight and to the point.

Snakes are carnivores. They eat whole prey.

So let’s see how simple it is to feed our cats…

How to feed cats, according to VCA Hospitals

The beginning is a bit more general. But they do mention that nutrition is important.

Next, they talk about veterinary nutrition and how it’s exploded and benefited our cats. They explain that kittens, adults, and seniors have different nutritional needs.

VCA Hospitals recommends partnering with your veterinarian to perform a nutritional assessment.

And I agree that monitoring your cat’s weight, body condition score, composition, how much you’re feeding, scheduled mealtimes, etc. are all important.

But still no mention that cats are carnivores or which diet is best for them.

The next section talks about choosing a nutrition formulation. They talk about AAFCO formulations and feeding trials.

And finally, they state…

“It is critical to understand that cats cannot be fed a vegetarian diet. Cats are obligate carnivores, and their nutrient profile must contain a meat-sourced protein.”

And again they suggest working with your veterinarian on that.

They do suggest feeding portioned meals at scheduled meal times to stay on top of how much your cat is eating.

And they say, “Cat foods today are very tasty and very calorie-dense, which means a little goes a long way.”

Well isn’t that interesting? Cat foods today are very tasty.

That’s a nice way of saying that flavor enhancers in processed food make your cat addicted to it so much so that your cat can’t control himself and will overeat.

So cats are carnivores who need meat. But not whole prey?

Whole prey is normal for snakes but not for cats

So we have two establishments saying point blank that snakes are carnivores therefore their diet must be whole prey.

We acknowledge that cats are carnivores too. But their diet isn’t so straightforward.

Why is that?

Why is it normal for snakes (carnivores) to eat mice and rats?

But it isn’t normal for cats (also carnivores) to eat mice and rats?

I think it’s very interesting that the AVMA warns us not to get a pet snake if we can’t handle feeding mice and rats.

And yet for cats, they are very detailed about making sure your landlord approves having cat, you have the space for a cat, you can keep a clean litter box, how to choose the right breed.

But no mention of a species-appropriate (whole prey) diet.

Just that cats need high-quality food. Whatever that means.

The first thing VCA Hospitals says is snakes are carnivores. Feed them mice.

But again for cats, it’s a bit more complicated.

Yes, I agree with everything both say.

Exercise, play, clean litter box, make sure you’re prepared, keep track of your cat’s meal portions, weight, body condition score.

All of that is important.

But why is it normal for pet snakes to eat mice, but it isn’t normal for pet cats?

Well, I decided that it IS normal to feed whole prey to cats. Even if they live indoors.

If snakes are carnivores and eat whole prey in the wild…

And cats are carnivores and eat whole prey in the wild…

They should both eat their natural whole prey diet indoors.

That’s why Jericho eats whole prey mice, rats, day old chicks, and hamsters.

Want to feed whole prey too? The first step is to switch from dry/wet processed food to a premade raw diet.

Yes, whole prey is natural. But your cat probably won’t recognize it as food if he has no fresh food in his diet.

Going from dry to whole prey is like going from addicting chips and candy to fresh filet mignon.

Switching to a premade raw diet first will help your cat get used to fresher ingredients. Check out my Switch to Raw Blueprint to get started!