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Cat To Catch Mice
- Thread starter cheri99i
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Purebred cats are not selectively bred for catching mice... hunting and catching prey is also a learned skill for cats. You would be better off looking for a rescued or even formerly feral kitty that may have had some experience hunting prey in the past.
Pretty much any cat, regardless of breed, is capable of catching mice. But if I were to get a cat for that purpose I would find an adult one at a shelter who was a former feral or outdoor cat. They have had to fend for themselves and may therefore have more of a hunting instinct than an indoor only who has never hunted for its own food.
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If you have a mouse / pest problem, you should hire a professional to deal with the issue not get a cat. Many house cats have no clue what to do with a live mouse. Some may bring it to you still alive. Others may kill a mouse but not eat it, leaving the dead mouse to decompose and stink up your home until you locate it and dispose of it.
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Thanks for the advice
Need to think again about CAT.I got a rescue young female who had just weaned her kittens. She is petite, probably got pregnant before she was full grown. I have no idea of her history. I live in an old farmhouse, and my girl is a stone killer. Sure, she brings them to me, which is not my favorite thing, but she has never lost a rodent. The one time a mouse got away and died she knew where it went, under a dresser, and was trying to turn herself into a snake to get under there and get it. This alerted me and I got it before it was even cold. So it can work. I don't like the exterminator idea unless absolutely necessary, because then you're talking chemicals. Plus, it keeps her from getting bored, so no destructive cat habits.
I should add that although I don't know my cat's history, she was not a feral and was rescued while pregnant, so she did not have to hunt for her babies. Speculating, she was probably raised by a Mama cat because she does not have bottle baby bad manners.
I should add that although I don't know my cat's history, she was not a feral and was rescued while pregnant, so she did not have to hunt for her babies. Speculating, she was probably raised by a Mama cat because she does not have bottle baby bad manners.
I 100% agree! Sure one might get a cat that actually likes mousing and is good at it, but many just do not know or care. If it is a good mouser, it will never get all the mice and it does not solve the problem that caused them in the first place.
Long story short, my ex-husband caused our old house to get infested after I kicked him out with the hope of me being afraid and calling him for help. (I am terrified of mice!) I had three cats at the time. One would hunt them and bring them to me. Sometimes they looked dead and then would jump up suddenly, alive and well. The other two cats had no interest in mice. I once watched one scurry past my Hawthorne, and Hawthorne just watched him run. Yuck.
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Feral cats placed as barn cats or "working cats" have been reported to be effective in pest control, and (perhaps more important) these placements can provide good homes for feral cats that are otherwise difficult to place. However, these cats aren't necessarily good house pets.
Most cats will chase any small thing/being that runs. They become good mousers when their cat mothers teach them how to make the kill. Cats are know for playing with their prey, this is when mom is teaching the kits to kill. A serious mouser, without kittens does one slam hit on the prey's neck and that's that.
If you get a mouser be sure to feed it a regular ration of food - what a none mouser active cat would need. This keeps his/her strength up enough to catch and kill mice. You don't want the cat to try to live on mice. Expecting them to, lowers their hunting successes and ability. No one works well when hungry.
If you have rats then duncanmac is probably right and you need a rat dog, Jack Russell, Treeing cur (they get to 50 lbs), or a German Shepherd (for city rats). Most cats can't handle city rats which are close to half their size. Some can, but only a desperate or foolish hunter takes on prey that will injure him.
A good mouser doesn't have to be brilliant, just patient.
If you get a mouser be sure to feed it a regular ration of food - what a none mouser active cat would need. This keeps his/her strength up enough to catch and kill mice. You don't want the cat to try to live on mice. Expecting them to, lowers their hunting successes and ability. No one works well when hungry.
If you have rats then duncanmac is probably right and you need a rat dog, Jack Russell, Treeing cur (they get to 50 lbs), or a German Shepherd (for city rats). Most cats can't handle city rats which are close to half their size. Some can, but only a desperate or foolish hunter takes on prey that will injure him.
A good mouser doesn't have to be brilliant, just patient.
My crew are pretty apt hunters. They don't always eat their kills but the only mouse problem we have is with the mice Nightfury brings in for Rocket. Although they usually don't last long once she gets them in her sight.
I'd agree with the above that getting a former feral or barn cat would be the best. One who was raised outside is essentially the requirement. My girl has unending patience and much more of hunter; she was outside for her first four months. But feral and former Barn cats do take work to be good pets.
If you are looking for an outdoor cat, ask around for a feral rehoming program. Ferals can make great mousers for outdoors with minimal care requirements; food and medical care if needed. If you're looking for an indoor cat, try for a rescue who was a street cat orlookfor someone with a litter of barn kittens. If you are more a dog person some dogs are good for mice. If you have a pest problem and don't really want a pet, call pest control.
I'd agree with the above that getting a former feral or barn cat would be the best. One who was raised outside is essentially the requirement. My girl has unending patience and much more of hunter; she was outside for her first four months. But feral and former Barn cats do take work to be good pets.
If you are looking for an outdoor cat, ask around for a feral rehoming program. Ferals can make great mousers for outdoors with minimal care requirements; food and medical care if needed. If you're looking for an indoor cat, try for a rescue who was a street cat orlookfor someone with a litter of barn kittens. If you are more a dog person some dogs are good for mice. If you have a pest problem and don't really want a pet, call pest control.
Only get a cat if you want a cat. Otherwise use traps or call an exterminator. It's not good for a cat to live with someone who doesn't really want them.
If you do want a cat. . .I don't know how to determine if a cat is a good mouser. My best mouser showed up as a kitten, very friendly, and has been indoors ever since. I don't know how she was raised but shes tame and friendly so probably not feral. Maybe a farm cat, idk. But she's the best. She'll never give up until she catches it and she makes clean kills. Some of the others will catch a mouse if they feel like it, and some of the others will just ignore mice. Perhaps running a string for the cat to chase will give you a good idea of how much prey drive they have. Look for a kitty who seems to be very driven to catch the string.
If you do want a cat. . .I don't know how to determine if a cat is a good mouser. My best mouser showed up as a kitten, very friendly, and has been indoors ever since. I don't know how she was raised but shes tame and friendly so probably not feral. Maybe a farm cat, idk. But she's the best. She'll never give up until she catches it and she makes clean kills. Some of the others will catch a mouse if they feel like it, and some of the others will just ignore mice. Perhaps running a string for the cat to chase will give you a good idea of how much prey drive they have. Look for a kitty who seems to be very driven to catch the string.
Once the pest problem has been taken care of, you need to go through the house top to bottom inside and out to seal up any teeny little crack that a mouse can squeeze through to prevent a future problem. Mice can produce lots of babies in a very short time. Clean the kitchen cabinets, drawers, under the fridge, etc to remove any crumbs that may attract pests. Don't leave food out in open containers because that may attract pests.
Not sure about the peppermint but definitely the smell of a cat will deter some mice. The best way to prevent them though is to go around the exterior of your home and look for any openings - they can squeeze through those the size of a dime, and block each hole with steel wool. If you have a family or families who have moved in as I did while using a corn based litter, the fastest way to get rid of them was good old mousetraps. First I had to figure out how they were coming in so I dusted the edges of the basement with flour and looked for tracks and those tracks led me right to their entrance which was a tiny corner of the basement door frame. Then after plugging their holes I set up half a dozen traps and in about a week I was mouse free.
