Possums, also known as opossums, are a type of animal mostly found in gardens and Trees that feed mainly on insects and small creatures. In this article, we will be talking about the eating habits of possums.
Can possums eat cat food?
Possums can eat cat food. Cat food is full of various nutrients and the smell of it attracts the possums so they like to eat it very naturally. As they are predatory animals, they eat all kinds of food. But in most cases, when the possums are usually hungry, they can steal food and eat it.
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Possums usually like to eat any kind of food. However, their daily food list includes the remains of small animals, insects, and a variety of other garden animals. Among insects, they feed on small reptiles, cockroaches, and frogs.
It is known that they prefer high calcium foods in their diet. However, if they are hungry, they will eat any kind of food, this is their innate nature. The biggest advantage of their diet is that they play an important role in keeping the animal ecosystem active.
Also, they prey on harmful insects in the garden which reduces the infestation of insects in the garden crops and gives adequate yield. In case of excessive hunger, they can also eat food from the garbage, and they can also eat cat food.
At the same time, since the pet eats both herbs and meat which are present in the cat’s diet, this is another reason why possums prefer cat food.
Although they avoid places where cats or dogs live, they can collect and eat pet food by stealing when they are hungry. Some different type of cat food based on possums’ choice is described below:
Wet cat food:
Possums can even eat wet cat food, the canned ones to be precise. As mentioned earlier, they can eat any type of food that can be eaten when they are hungry, so they can also eat wet cat food.
In this case, if a lot of moisture has already accumulated in the food, they will not hesitate to eat it. They eat all kinds of food except the enormously toxic food.
Dry cat food:
Cats’ dry foods are rich in a variety of nutrients, and they spread fragrance in the open, which attracts the possums. In addition to that, the taste of dry food is much better than other foods that possum generally consumes so they like to eat it.
Canned cat food:
Canned cat food can be fed to possums as well. Canned cat food can be fed to baby possums too. As it is soft in nature, it is not difficult for the possums to eat.
Can baby possums eat cat food?
Baby possums can eat cat food. This will give them extra and special nutrition and help them to grow. In addition to that, cat food contains protein and iron. These are the favorite foods in the first row of possums’ diet.
Although baby possums can eat any food, they will grow up quickly if they eat cat food along with insects, animals, and reptiles in their daily diet. However, regular feeding of cat food can have harmful effects on their body such as their obesity problems.
They need a balanced diet in their meal which they collect from nature. In addition to protein, they also need calcium in their diet which is not present in sufficient quantity in cat food.
Furthermore, the long-term presence of pet food in the wildlife diet can cause a variety of physical problems for the possums. So, it is recommended to avoid feeding the possums cat food for a long time.
Is cat food bad for possums?
Cat food is not bad for possums. The possums and cats have almost the same type of diet. Possums like to eat and can consume whatever they want if they are not toxic and vulnerable to eat.
Cat food contains various types of nutritious elements in it which helps the possums to cover daily nutrition. Besides, possums are wildlife animals so they need to consume natural elements such as different types of herbs to survive in wildlife.
The herbal ingredients are most likely to be missing in the cat food. So, cat food can be provided occasionally, not regularly to the possums.
That could cause them obesity-related problems and even cause bone-related diseases due to lack of proper amount of calcium. So, cat foods are not harmful to possums if they do not expire and contain excessive chemicals.
3 reasons why possums eat cat food
There are plenty of reasons why possums like to eat cat food. They are wild animals, so they can consume any type of food. They are naturally trained to eat different insects, frogs, or reptiles.
Possums are likely to avoid pet animals such as cats and dogs, but when they are in hunger, they can reach your cat food and eat them.
But it is recommended to avoid feeding the possums cat food for a long time because it might cause them obesity problems and bone-related problems. Reasons, why possums eat cat food, are mentioned below:
Easy to reach:
Most of the time you pour your cat food in their bowl and leave it in the open. You do not have to look at it for the cat to eat.
But possums can easily reach the bowls and eat them. Moreover, the bowls are kept on floors so they don’t even have to climb up any obstacles as well.
They attract the possums with their smell:
Cat food spreads a good smell that attracts the possums. Possums have a good sniffing sense. Because of their strong sense of smell, they can easily sniff out food from the garden or surroundings and eat food.
Cat food contains high protein:
Cat food contains a good number of proteins, minerals, herbs, and calcium which are accumulated together in a meal.
So, they don’t have to search for the required nutrition in different places and foods. Moreover, the cat food contains herbs and meat essences and they cover important nutrition of the possums.
What are the consequences of possums eating cat food?
The possums like to eat cat food. But regular consumption of cat food can have adverse effects on their body. They may have obesity problems.
Since they feed on wildlife and insects, they are naturally prone to predation and live by hunting. But often becoming completely dependent on cat food, might make them reluctant to hunt.
The presence of possums in your garden could keep the garden and its plants free from insect infestation, but the adverse effects of cat food will not benefit from having possums in your garden either.
Finally, it can have an adverse effect on the ecosystem as well. Cat food does not have all the essential ingredients for a possum, so eating cat food regularly can make them sick.
While it may be beneficial for a short period, providing regular cat food can be detrimental to it.
How to keep possums away from cat food?
It is important to keep the possums away from cat food to let them live by their nature and have your cats get the right amount of food.
You need to keep in mind that your pets are also being deprived of adequate nutrition due to their tendency to steal food.
Although they are very diverse animals and their eating habits are very common, they can survive without cat food. Here’s how to put one together for use with your cat’s cat food:
Use homemade possum repellent:
Since the possums have a strong sense of smell, there are some things that if left on their way will no longer enter your home. For example, if you want, you can sprinkle cinnamon with their place of movement, so that they will avoid that path.
Use fences in-home to create obstacles:
Use the fence to avoid possums entering your home. In this case, it is better to use a high fence so that they cannot enter by climbing the fence in any way.
In particular, wire mesh fences can be a very effective solution. This will keep your home free from the intrusion of other harmful creatures besides these unwanted guests.
Observe when your pets are eating:
Let your pets eat indoors or watch them as they eat so you can chase the possums or scare them off to run away in certain situations.
Final Thoughts
Due to the possum’s tendency to eat anything such as insects or garbage, they are considered animals of normal nature and beneficial for your garden. But increasing the tendency to let them eat cat food regularly can put them at physical risk and disrupt their normal life in the long run.