What Do Cat Geckos Eat? The Complete Diet & Feeding Guide

If you just brought home a cat gecko (Aeluroscalabotes felinus) and are staring at a bag of mealworms wondering if that's it, let's cut to the chase. The single most important fact you need is this: cat geckos are obligate insectivores. They eat live insects. Period. No fruit, no veggies, no pre-made "gecko food" gels. Getting this wrong is the fastest way to a sick gecko. But within that simple rule lies a world of nuance that separates a surviving pet from a thriving one. This guide dives past the basic "feed them crickets" advice you'll find everywhere and into the specifics of variety, preparation, and timing that make all the difference.

Understanding the Cat Gecko's Natural Diet

Cat geckos hail from the rainforests of Southeast Asia. They're nocturnal, semi-arboreal hunters. In the wild, their menu is a diverse buffet of whatever small invertebrates crawl, skitter, and fly through the leaf litter and lower branches. Think small crickets, roaches, moths, spiders, and beetle larvae. This variety isn't a luxury; it's how they get a complete range of nutrients. Replicating this variety in captivity is your first major task. Relying solely on one type of insect, like crickets from the big pet store chain, is like a human eating only plain rice every day. They might not starve, but they won't be healthy long-term.

I learned this the hard way with my first cat gecko, Smudge. For months, he was on a cricket-only diet, dusted with supplements. He ate, but he was lethargic and his colors were dull. It wasn't until I introduced black soldier fly larvae and small dubia roaches that he perked up dramatically. His activity increased, and his gorgeous rust-and-cream coloration became much more vibrant. The difference was stark and taught me that "eating" and "thriving" are two different goals.

The Core Diet: Staple, Occasional, and Treat Insects

Not all bugs are created equal. We can break feeder insects into three categories. Your goal is to build a diet around the staples, using the others for rotation and enrichment.

A huge mistake I see is keepers using mealworms as a staple because they're convenient. They sit in a bowl, right? Wrong. Their hard exoskeleton is difficult to digest in large quantities, and their nutritional profile is terrible for a main food source. They should be an occasional item at best.

How Often and How Much to Feed Your Cat Gecko

This isn't a set-it-and-forget-it schedule. It changes with age and season.

Feeding Juveniles (Up to 1 year)

Babies and juveniles are growing machines. Offer an appropriate amount of small insects daily, or at least 5-6 times a week. An "appropriate amount" is roughly as many insects as the gecko will eagerly eat in a 10-15 minute period. For a young cat gecko, this might be 4-6 small crickets or dubias. Don't leave uneaten live prey in the enclosure overnight, as they can stress or even bite your gecko.

Feeding Adults (1 year+)

Adult cat geckos have slower metabolisms. Feeding them daily will lead to obesity. The standard is every other day, or 3-4 times per week. Some keepers even switch to a schedule of 2-3 larger feedings per week. Watch your gecko's body condition. You should be able to see its ribs slightly, but its tail should be nicely plump (the primary fat storage site). A round, sausage-like body is a sign you're overfeeding.

How to Prepare and Offer Food: It's Not Just Tossing Bugs In

This is the step most guides gloss over, and it's critical. You must gut-load your feeder insects 24-48 hours before feeding. Gut-loading means feeding the insects a nutritious diet so your gecko gets those nutrients by proxy.

What to gut-load with? High-quality commercial gut-load foods (from brands like Repashy or Bug Burger) are excellent. You can also use fresh veggies: sweet potato, carrots, leafy greens (dandelion, collard), and squash. Never gut-load with poor substrates like potato slices or just cricket quencher gel—that's empty calories.

How you offer food matters too. While a simple feeding dish works for slower worms, cat geckos are hunters. I recommend tongs-feeding or releasing insects into the enclosure to stimulate natural hunting behavior. Tongs-feeding (using soft-tipped tweezers) lets you control exactly what and how much your gecko eats, prevents insects from hiding, and helps build trust. It's a game-changer for monitoring appetite.

The Non-Negotiable: Dusting with Supplements

Even the best gut-loaded insects can't provide perfect nutrition in captivity. You must dust them with supplements. There are two main types:

• Calcium with Vitamin D3: Essential for bone health and preventing Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), a common and fatal condition in reptiles. D3 helps them utilize the calcium.
• Multivitamin: Provides a spectrum of other essential vitamins and minerals (like Vitamin A) not sufficiently present in insects.

Here's a simple schedule that works for most keepers under standard UVB lighting (which I recommend providing):

• For most feedings: Lightly dust insects with Calcium (without D3).
• Once a week: Dust one feeding with Calcium with D3.
• Once every other week: Dust one feeding with a good Multivitamin.

If you are not using UVB lighting, you may need to use Calcium with D3 more frequently (e.g., 2-3 times a week), but consult a reptile-savvy vet for a precise regimen. Over-supplementing can be as harmful as under-supplementing.

Common Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

Let's talk about where things usually go wrong. I've made or seen all of these.

• Feeding insects that are too large. The golden rule: no insect should be wider than the space between your gecko's eyes. Larger prey can cause impaction or regurgitation.
• Ignoring variety. The "crickets and mealworms" rotation is a recipe for nutritional gaps. Incorporate at least one other staple from the list above.
• Skipping gut-loading and supplements. This is like serving a plate with no nutritional value. You're feeding empty shells.
• Overfeeding treats. Waxworms are addictive. Your gecko will start refusing other food. Use them only as a last resort for a picky eater or a weight-gain tool.
• Leaving uneaten live prey. Crickets can nibble on a sleeping gecko, causing stress and injury. Always remove uneaten insects after a feeding window.

Advanced Tips for Picky or Problem Eaters

What if your cat gecko just won't eat? First, ensure temperatures and humidity are correct (cool side ~72-75°F, warm side ~80-82°F, humidity 60-80%). Stress from incorrect husbandry is the #1 cause of appetite loss.

If husbandry is fine, try these tricks:

• Try different feeders. The movement of black soldier fly larvae often triggers a feeding response. Silkworms are another great stimulant.
• Feed at the right time. Offer food at dusk or after lights out, during their natural active window.
• "Brain" the insect. For particularly stubborn cases, gently squish the head of a feeder insect to release its bodily fluids. Present it with tongs right in front of the gecko's nose. The scent can kickstart their instincts.
• Check for parasites. A vet visit for a fecal exam is warranted if an appetite strike is prolonged, especially in a new gecko.

Your Cat Gecko Feeding Questions Answered