Ant Cat Nip

[KQ]

My male cat LOVES sugar ants - you know those ones that stink when you squish them (also called "odorous house ants"). He goes NUTS for them - loves to eat them sniffing up the ground following their trail lapping them up and after he's had a few he behaves like he's had cat nip. Starts bouncing off the walls and rabbit kicking stuff. If I squish one with my finger and let him smell it he will grab my hand with his paws, lick my finger like crazy and then start trying to chew my finger.

Come to find out the ants are full of oleic acid which is one of the constituents of the pheromone that cats wipe on objects with their chins.

Oddly enough - if they get into his dry food dish he will not eat the food and I have to throw it out. Guess too much of a good thing is just that.

[skiballs]

Sounds like your pussy is getting antsy.

[Tuckerman]

Just how many cats do you own?

[Timberridge]

Another thing I never realized: you could smoke on the Hindenburg. How crazy was that?

[DBdude]

Sounds like your pussy is getting antsy.

hahahahahahahaha

[SB]

Katz is funney, one of mine will stalk stink bugs that get into the house. If she catches it she will bite it then makes that Eeeeeewwwww face and backs away from it.

Daddy has to come to the rescue with a tissue and the offender is promptly flushed to the waste water treatment facility. Dun this many times.

[KQ]

Just how many cats do you own?

Since you asked.....

I had a stray show up shortly after the barn was built. She had two litters before I could catch her and get her fixed (9 kittens total). One of those kittens decided he wanted to "move on up to the deluxe apartment in the sky" and came to live in the house. He made this decision on his own - just came to the house one day and starting meowing to be let in - he's no fool, now he sleeps on a down comforter. This is my "ant eater". I gave three away to a friend who needed barn cats and two disappeared no doubt falling prey to an owl/fox/coyote. Then I had two other strays show up and decide to take up residence so all told I have 7 cats. Kinda a cat lady but not really - they all came to me on their own accord. However they are working cats and do a fabulous job of keeping the rodent/gopher population in check and yes everyone is now fixed and vaccinated.

Another thing I never realized: you could smoke on the Hindenburg. How crazy was that?

See that is what struck me most about the ant/pheromone thing - cool science facts.

Katz is funney, one of mine will stalk stink bugs that get into the house. If she catches it she will bite it then makes that Eeeeeewwwww face and backs away from it.

Daddy has to come to the rescue with a tissue and the offender is promptly flushed to the waste water treatment facility. Dun this many times.

Mine in the barn do that with stink beetles

[creaky fossil]

in a domesticated animal world we are sometimes surprised that animals eat things other than what humans prepare/provide for them. you know, like when your dog eats another dog's shit. the ants in dry food is a great conundrum though, maybe that's territorial?

[Viva]

My male cat LOVES sugar ants -

Sugar Snacks.

[capulin overdrive]

Yup, my tom liked em also.

[digitaldeath]

sounds tripped out

show us a video

[riser4]

Ya, but what dogs eat is a whole lot worse.

[Timberridge]

I've never seen a cat eat shit. They clean their bungholes, but I'm not sure they do it for the taste.

[KQ]

I've never seen a cat eat shit. They clean their bungholes, but I'm not sure they do it for the taste.

I've got a horse that eats "biscuits" but only from one other horse in my herd. I keep them in separate pastures now.

[Alaskan Rover]

As to the cat loving to eat those particular ants and goes mad about them but dislikes them in her food...maybe not so particular afterall...maybe not just a good combination. Sorta like pouring Johnny Walker on your Captain Crunch??

[stuckathuntermtn]

KQ sounds a lot like my sister-in-law.
Why is it so hard for people to have just 1 cat. Lots of people have 1 dog, but cats are apparently like peanuts to some people. Can't have just one!
And I don't think anyone has just 1 horse.

[SB]

Seems like there is a sign up that sez free Katz fud some where around my house. That or maybe its the cat nip forest behind my yard and they show up with the munchies.

[KQ]

[

KQ sounds a lot like my sister-in-law.
Why is it so hard for people to have just 1 cat. Lots of people have 1 dog, but cats are apparently like peanuts to some people. Can't have just one!
And I don't think anyone has just 1 horse.

I live in the country. I have 60 acres that includes seven outbuildings and two barns. There's a bit of land for the cats to patrol. Guess I didn't like the option of sending them to the pound to be killed so I decided to give them a place to live in exchange for them ridding my place of rodents naturally rather than using poisons. As I mentioned, I did the responsible thing and had them all fixed. And many many people do have only one horse. I did for most of my life when I lived in the city and boarded at a stable. The three I have now, like the cats, were given a home by me when their show careers ended. I helped both the owners and the horses out by again, giving them a place to live rather than having them put down.

I could say the same about dogs - almost all my neighbors have packs of assorted mutts. Most have at least three, several have 4 or more.

Seems like there is a sign up that sez free Katz fud some where around my house. That or maybe its the cat nip forest behind my yard and they show up with the munchies.

I too have a cat nip forest - in the summer one of my cats (the ant eater) camps out in it eating nip at will.

[Tippster]

I live in the country. I have 60 acres that includes seven outbuildings and two barns. There's a bit of land for the cats to patrol. Guess I didn't like the option of sending them to the pound to be killed so I decided to give them a place to live in exchange for them ridding my place of rodents naturally rather than using poisons.

A friend of mine has 100 acres, mainly tenant-farmed, and 5 horses. BIG barn w/hay loft and Corn hoppers, several outbuildings for mowers and tractors, etc. A few years ago I saw a cat wandering between buildings - first one I had seen on his property in 20 years - and asked him about it. He informed me that there has been a feral cat presence on that farm since his grandfather owned it, and that the cat population at the current time was around 10. I had no idea, and I spent every weekend there fishing and shooting skeet.

He never feeds them or does anything but taking the kittens/young adults he finds to the vet to get them spayed/neutered. He doesn't always find them in time and that keeps the population stable.

He has never had a rat, mouse, or chipmunk problem within 1/2 mile of his house. These are working animals and they do their jobs very well.

[liv2ski]

KQ is kinda living my dream (although my wife has said "never going to happen") I would love to have 20+ acres an hour from Lake Tahoe. Dogs, cats maybe even two horses and a huuuuuuge grow op

[SB]

and boxes, don't forget the boxes

[KQ]

and boxes, don't forget the boxes

Crazy kittens!

[DasBlunt]

My dog eats spiders....and squirrels.....and yes, I feed him.

[riser4]

I've never seen a cat eat shit. They clean their bungholes, but I'm not sure they do it for the taste.

Dogs eat shit for the taste. At least mine does.

[riser4]

Sorta like pouring Johnny Walker on your Captain Crunch??

Hey. Don't knock it until you've tried it. And if you didn't like it, you just don't know.