Scouting Party
Posted by Jasen Farmer on May 14, 2006
Q: I read your answer about dead ants and formic acid. My cats like to eat ants and go crazy when I smash them in their presence, especially if they smell the dead ants!? Have you heard of this, given that most animals don't like the smell? They think it's better than catnip!
A: Very interesting question! I've read that squirrels will participate in this behavior but I've never heard that cats would. It has long been known that birds will spread themselves over an ant hill and allow the ants to crawl over their feathers; a behavior called anting. No one has been able to determine exactly what benefits this provides a bird but when they participate in this behavior, they seem to be totally involved. If squirrels will do this, it makes sense to me that cats might too but again, the value of this behavior is not clear. I'm glad you shared this information and maybe this will be better understood in the near future. Thanks for your question.
John Wiessinger ( May 16, 2006)