It can be pretty traumatic if your cat eats your guinea pig. You probably want to know what to do in this situation, and whether or not your cat will get sick.
What to do if your cat ate your guinea pig?
If your cat didn’t swallow the whole guinea pig, your cat should be fine and just closely monitored. However, you should consult a vet if your cat ate the whole guinea pig.
Cat didn’t swallow guinea pig
If you were able to get to your cat in time before they consumed the guinea pig, your cat should probably be fine. You should closely monitor your cat for the next day or two and make sure they don’t develop any abnormal symptoms.
I suggest that you try to get them to drink a lot of water which can help push any remnants of the guinea pig through their digestive system faster.
Below are some common symptoms that a cat can develop if they ate a guinea pig.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Poop in blood
- Twitching
- Trouble breathing
- Choking
- Loud cries
If your cat develops any of the following symptoms, you should take him/her to the vet.
Cat swallowed the guinea pig whole
If you were late to the scene and you notice that your cat ate a big portion or all of the guinea pig, you should take them to the vet immediately.
If your cat consumes a guinea pig, they run the risk of parasites and choking.
Parasites
Compared to cats, guinea pigs are more vulnerable to some types of parasites such as ringworm and mites. If your guinea pig was infected with these parasites when your cat ate it, then there is a good chance your cat will develop these parasites.
Even worse, these parasites can start laying eggs inside your cats body, which can result in internal parasites. For this reason, it is important to consult a doctor to make sure you can stop the parasites early before they spread.
Choking hazard
While guinea pigs are a natural food source for wild cats, they are not natural for a domesticated cat that has eaten dry or wet cat food for its whole life. While most cats still have a natural instinct to catch and kill a guinea pig, domesticated cats will have a tough time eating it properly because they are not used to eating live rodents.
Guinea pigs have a lot of small bones, which can cause a slew of problems for your cat. For starters, it can cause your cat to choke if it gets stuck in their throat or esophagus. Even if the bones pass through the esophagus, they can still cause a lot of damage. The sharp pieces can rupture parts of their stomach, which in turn can cause internal bleeding.
Additionally, a guinea pig is very different to your cat’s normal food, so it will likely cause diarrhea.
For this reason, it is very important that you take your cat to the vet if they swallow a guinea pig whole. While there is a good chance they will be okay, the risks are too great to not consult a vet.
What will the vet do?
Now you might be wondering how your vet will treat your cat if they ate a guinea pig. The first thing your vet will do is assess your cat’s current health. They will likely check your cat’s heart rate, temperature, and possibly their breathing patters. The vet will also check to see if your cat is displaying any abnormal symptoms.
If your vet suspects that your cat has parasites, they will likely give your cat a dewormer to try and kill the parasites before they multiply. If the vet suspects that your cat has an infection, they will administer the proper antibiotics to fight it.
Lastly, if your vet suspects that your cat has digestion issues, they will probably give your cat some laxatives to help pass the guinea pig through their system.
Once the vet has administered treatment, they will likely discharge your cat to go home with you. They will tell you to closely monitor your cat for the next couple of days, and they might prescribe some medicine.
Conclusion
It can be a terrifying sight when your cat eats your guinea pig. The key is to closely monitor your cat and take him/her to the vet if they start to develop any abnormal symptoms. As a precaution, I recommend taking your cat to the vet regardless if they ate the entire guinea pig.
If you have other guinea pigs, or are planning to get a new one, make sure you never leave your cat in the same room as your guinea pig. Even if they have played nice together before, you never know when a cat’s natural instinct will kick in.