Are snakes afraid of cats? Do cats kill and eat snakes? This article discusses the predatory relationship between these two species.
The mere thought of having snakes around is creepy for most persons.
Will Cats Keep Snakes Away?
A lot of people will spare no expense to have snakes removed from their property. This includes the use of natural as well as professional approaches towards ensuring home surroundings are free from snake presence.
We’ll be discussing a natural remedy being widely touted as being effective in keeping snakes at bay; cats.
Do cats really keep snakes at bay? This is an interesting question because one animal (cat) is loved and kept as a pet while the other (snake) is most feared and disliked.
What’s Attracting Snakes to My Yard?
Snakes are mostly unwelcome in most homes.
These reptiles get too close to comfort and could take up residence around a property. To get to the bottom of the problem, it’s logical to first seek out why they’re attracted to your yard.
So, what brings snakes around?
These crawling creatures are easily attracted to areas with an ample supply of prey. The main attraction is in the form of rodents, birds, frogs, and lizards. Basically, small animals found around a property are mostly targeted.
Apart from the prey, snakes will also be attracted to sheltered areas. Here, well-irrigated lawns (especially mulched areas) tend to serve as an excellent snake shelter in summer.
To have a real shot at solving the problems, you’ll need to focus on implementing preventive treatments.
This should be backed by active treatments such as the introduction of a predator. What are some of these predators? They range from large birds, foxes, raccoons, mongooses, wild boars, and coyotes.
So, do snakes belong to this category of predators? Let’s find out.
Snakes Aren’t Entirely Bad Though
This might sound weird to some readers, but the truth is, snakes aren’t entirely bad to have around your surroundings. Although some of these reptiles are venomous while others are not, they are important members of the ecosystem.
In other words, they prey on other animals you find disgusting or consider a nuisance. Snakes will readily prey on mice and rats, thus saving you the distress of dealing with the damage caused by them.
But cats also prey on rodents right? Absolutely true!
Due to snake fright and misgivings, a lot of homeowners will prefer to have snakes repelled while dealing with their rodent problems through other means such as the introduction of cats among other measures.
Do Cats Hunt Snakes?
Cats easily scare snakes off. As a matter of fact, a snake is likely to keep its distance when cats are around. This is because cats will readily hunt down snakes when they find them.
So, won’t such snakes fight back by biting your beloved cats? There’s a possibility of that happening.
A cat won’t necessarily kill or prey on snakes. However, its presence in your yard serves as a warning to these reptiles. This isn’t to say snakes will never encroach into your territory again.
Instead, it only means that when they do, they find your yard uninviting or unsuitable due to cat presence.
So, yes! Cats will easily repel snakes from your yard or home. While this is true, you’ll have to consider multiple scenarios. First off, what if the snake is venomous?
Also, are cats reliable enough to provide total protection from snakes? Focusing on the problem alone isn’t advisable.
A Venomous Snake Could be Deadly to Cats
One surprising fact about snakes is that most of them are harmless.
In other words, most snakes are non-venomous. However, this isn’t to say venomous snakes won’t wander into your yard or surroundings at all.
When they do, your cat(s) could have a fatal encounter with this reptile.
When venomous snakes strike, your cat has little chance of survival. No one wants to lose their beloved felines to a snake bite. As such, cats should be your last line of defense against snakes.
Humans are also not immune to such danger either.
Are you willing to place your cat in harm’s way? This isn’t an option for many pet lovers. With such knowledge, you’re able to take precautionary actions to safeguard your household and pets from venomous snakes.
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Snakes are Mostly Shy Animals
Snakes will prefer to keep their presence a secret but cats are known to be adept hunters. These pets easily detect snake presence. Due to their curiosity, cats get too close to these reptiles.
Most snakes will back out and only fight back when they feel threatened.
Are Cats Reliable Enough to Provide Total Protection from Snakes?
The ability of cats to keep snakes away is never in doubt. However, total reliance on cats alone might be disappointing as such a control method isn’t foolproof. Your cat is never going to be everywhere at the same time.
This simply means total deterrence isn’t 100 percent feasible with cats.
Focusing on the Problem Alone won’t be of Much Help
We’ve earlier said that snake presence around homes is mostly due to the availability of prey such as rodents. You’ll need to look at the problem holistically with the view of finding a lasting solution to it.
Now, a series of events leading to the attraction of snakes to property occur.
Most times, homeowners are oblivious to the roles they play in attracting such reptiles. It could all begin by having a bird feeder located too close to your home. Birds create a lot of mess when they feed.
Quite a significant amount of their feed ends up scattered below.
Rodents find such areas attractive and come around for a feast. This sparks off a chain reaction where snakes also come around to prey on these rodents. Large birds will also be attracted to areas with snake presence as they prey on them.
This will be a great idea for a lot of people.
However, you could get to the root cause of the problem by eliminating the bird feeder. Taking this out of the equation ensures your home surrounding isn’t as attractive to rodents and snakes any longer.
Plus, you safeguard your cats from potentially fatal encounters with snakes.
With cats, you have a shot at keeping snakes at bay.
However, this method doesn’t come without its own problems as highlighted above. The adoption of preventive measures will be a more reliable approach.