# Ants & Cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537 "2006-04-13T16:10:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/1 "2006-04-13T16:10:42Z")
Just the other day I noticed that I have some teeny little black ants coming in under the back door. I made a mental note that I would have to do something about it, but then last night, I saw my cat, Charlie, sitting there at the back door, watching the ants intently. He would pat at them with his paw, then suddenly throw himself down and roll on them, pause, and lick them up, then sit up and start all over again. He is doing it again today. Two questions: WHY is he doing this, and will eating the ants hurt him? ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/2 "2006-04-13T16:15:32Z")
My cats do the same thing, presumably because it’s fun. It doesn’t seem to hurt them. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/3 "2006-04-13T16:19:44Z")
Cats are born hunters, and have a lot of instinctive behaviour because of this, including attacking little moving things and eating them if they taste any good. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/4 "2006-04-13T16:50:56Z")
I can understand the hunting and eating part, but the rolling on has me perplexed. It’s like he is zoning out for a moment, his eyes sort of glaze over in kitty ecstacy. And now the other cat, Ruby, is doing the same thing. They almost look like they are getting stoned on the ants. Very weird. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/5 "2006-04-13T16:54:09Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > I can understand the hunting and eating part, but the rolling on has me perplexed. It’s like he is zoning out for a moment, his eyes sort of glaze over in kitty ecstacy. And now the other cat, Ruby, is doing the same thing. They almost look like they are getting stoned on the ants. Very weird. Formic acid high. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/6 "2006-04-13T18:53:38Z")
Most ants have a sort of lemony taste, sour and a little bitter. Maybe your cats are telling you they need more Jolly Ranchers in their diet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/7 "2006-04-13T21:15:27Z")
My cats eat bugs. A lot. Ladybugs, boxelder bugs, ants, spiders. They’re edible buddies! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ants-cats/352537/8 "2006-04-14T01:06:24Z")
Don’t you ever roll around in your living food? Try it some time.