My cat brought home a rodent. What's safe and best to feed it?

Oxbow, Mazuri and Kaytee all make excellent rat chow. Being omnivorous, they can eat almost anything. They should eat mainly a pelleted or block diet supplemented with fresh fruits, greens and vegetables.

You can supplement her commercial pellets or blocks with a small amount of fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, strawberries, etc), some fresh greens and a small amount of vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, etc). Be sure to remove any uneaten food after 8-10 hours.

If your cat didn't eat it, health risks would be minimal. The main secondary issues from hunting are tapeworms (if they eat the mouse) and issues from fleas (so I would apply a good prevention like Revolution of Advantage Multi). Another consideration would be to make sure you don't have rodenticide poisons anywhere because if they caused the mouse's death and then your cat ate it (or a future mouse!) then they would also be exposed to it!

An indoor/domesticated cat likely would not eat a frozen mouse. He or she may play with it, but that's all. Feral cats can and do survive solely on a diet of small wildlife. They've been "taught" by the mother how to hunt and kill small prey.

If the food is full of mouse droppings it is best to purchase new food ASAP. While treats can be given, they are not a balanced diet, and a new food should be purchased and given as soon as possible to avoid any illness or GI upset. In the future, placing their food in an airtight storage container made from plastic can help prevent rodents from getting to it.

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. This food is the best for pregnant/breeding/nursing rats: ( https://www.animates.co.nz/vetafarm-origins-rodent-food-350g.html ) You can offer small amounts of fruit and vegetables (such as: apples, bananas, peas, broccoli, sprouts and carrots). Cooked egg, cooked chicken and cooked pasta are also fine to give. If she is being a good mother you should not have to do anything to feed the pups. By about 3 weeks of age they are fully developed and will start eating solid food, though they are still being fed by their mother for about another week. Remember, after 4 to 4.5 weeks, the males should be separated from the rest of the pups and mom since they could impregnate their mother. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You don't have to do anything. If he didn't ingest the rat there should be no issues. However, if your dog was bitten by the rat then you should keep the rat, put it in the freezer and take it to your vet so they can send it out for rabies testing. Although it is extremely rare for rats to actually carry rabies, it is possible. Honestly, I personally would not be worried. Hope this helps. Best wishes.