How do cats digest mice? - briefly
A cat’s stomach releases hydrochloric acid and proteolytic enzymes that dissolve muscle, bone, and internal tissues, converting them into a semi‑liquid chyme. The chyme then passes to the small intestine, where nutrients are absorbed and waste products are prepared for elimination.
How do cats digest mice? - in detail
Cats capture a mouse, bite it, and begin the digestive process with a rapid, powerful bite that severs the spine and breaks the carcass into manageable pieces. Saliva, containing minimal enzymatic activity, moistens the meat, facilitating swallowing. The esophagus transports the bolus via peristaltic contractions to the stomach.
In the stomach, gastric glands secrete hydrochloric acid and pepsinogen. Acid converts pepsinogen to pepsin, which denatures proteins and cleaves peptide bonds. The low pH (1.5–3.0) also loosens connective tissue and weakens bone matrix, allowing partial dissolution of small skeletal fragments. The stomach mixes contents for 2–4 hours, reducing particle size and forming a semi‑liquid chyme.
The pyloric sphincter releases chyme into the duodenum, where bile from the liver emulsifies lipids and pancreatic secretions add enzymes:
- Trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolyze proteins into smaller peptides.
- Pancreatic lipase breaks triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoglycerides.
- Amylase acts on any residual carbohydrates, though mice provide minimal starch.
Absorption occurs primarily in the jejunum and ileum. Villi and microvilli increase surface area, permitting uptake of amino acids, fatty acids, glucose, vitamins, and minerals into the bloodstream. Nutrients travel via the portal vein to the liver for further processing.
Undigested material—fur, larger bone fragments, and indigestible proteins—passes into the large intestine. Colon bacteria ferment soluble fibers, producing short‑chain fatty acids that the cat can absorb. Water reabsorption concentrates feces, which are expelled as compact pellets.
Key physiological points:
- Dental adaptation: Sharp carnassial teeth shear flesh and cut bone.
- Stomach acidity: Enables rapid protein denaturation and partial bone dissolution.
- Enzyme synergy: Gastric and pancreatic enzymes act sequentially to maximize nutrient extraction.
- Efficient absorption: Small intestine specialized for high‑protein, high‑fat diets typical of rodent prey.
- Waste handling: Colon processes low‑volume, high‑energy waste, resulting in minimal fecal output.
Overall, the cat’s digestive system is optimized to extract maximal energy and nutrients from a small, vertebrate prey while safely processing indigestible components.