Every day, millions of Americans put of food dish outside for their cat or dog to eat. While many of these animals will gulp that food down like the aided in one swallow, others will eat a little and then return to their dish later on to continue to dine. It allows the pet to have food when it really is hungry.
However, it is also an enticement to many wild animals that may see that dog or cat food as the perfect meal for itself. Frequently, these animals will come onto your property knowing that they can get a free meal that is sitting right there in your pet’s dish.
You don’t want them coming on to your property to eat your pet’s food, but it may make you wonder if all wild animals will eat dog or cat food? An interesting question to say the least.
To understand the answer to this question, it begins with understanding the behavior of animals. For example, some animals are pure mediators. While they may eat certain kinds of dog or cat food, there are other brands that they would find unappealing. They would be looking for a variety of food that offered a hearty beef or chicken flavor.
You also have animals that are herbivores, meaning they only want plants. This may deter them from eating your dog or cat food, because it doesn’t have the proper flavor and consistency to it.
However, there are a very large group of animals that are referred to as omnivores, meaning that they will eat both plants and meet. It is these ones that you have to worry about the most.
These kind of animals will eat anything that is put out in your dog or cat dish. They are equal opportunity in terms of the kind of food they will eat. This includes such animals as rats, mice, possums, raccoons, squirrels, and even skunks. They will all eat the same thing your dog or cat will devour.
There are also many birds that will enjoy the food that is left out for your dog or cat. Smaller sized birds, such as the Finch, may not partake of this food, but most other birds will enjoy greatly. This is especially true of larger sized birds, such as crows and blackbirds. If they can get to your pet’s dish they will most assuredly be eating there.
While it may not concern you to have a burger to coming around where your dog or cat eats, some of these other animals should be of concern for you. A raccoon or a possum carries a large number of pathogens that could endanger you and your pet, and we all know that a skunk is certainly something you don’t want around. If you think that wild animals are coming to eat out of your pet’s dish that it may make sense to start feeding your animal in doors or to take the dish away after he or she has stopped eating.
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Florida Wildlife Control
