House cats are more likely to hunt and play, but less likely to kill and eat mice. Cats will hunt and kill but not always eat the mice whole since they may be trying to teach you how to hunt for food, just as their mama cats taught them. It may also be that they are just chasing a mouse and the playtime gets too rough.
Why don't cats eat the whole mouse?
Why Do Cats Leave Mice Guts? The stomach pH of mice was 3.0 (fed) and 4.0 (fasted), while rat stomach pH was 3.2 (fed) and 3.9 (fasted) (fasted). Because the intestines of a mouse are acidic, cats will not eat them.
Will cats eat a whole mouse?
If a cat catches a mouse, they will usually kill it and eat the whole thing (less the gizzard and intestines), but sometimes they will leave dead mice for you as a gift. Cats that do eat mice will generally like to eat whole mice, otherwise, they wouldn't bother.
Do cats eat their prey whole?
Wild cats devour their entire prey, including muscles, organs, bones, offal, skin, viscera, etc. but often avoid consuming plant materials contained in the entrails. Domestic cats do not readily accept food served at temperature extremes.
Do cats eat the mice they catch?
Cats do indeed eat mice, as well as rats, other small mammals, and birds. The act of cats 'playing' with their food is so that they can hone their hunting skills.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
How do I get my cat to stop eating mice?Can a cat digest a whole mouse?
