Cats Don't Keep Mice Away??? Seriously???

[fearlessbenjamn]

I walked into my kitchen and nearly fainted when I saw my kitty Benjamin and a mouse having a staring contest. WTH??? I knew that my husband would never believe me so I took a picture as proof. After taking the pic, I ran and got a bucket and put it over the mouse/rat. Ugh. I guess I have been wrong in assuming that cats keep mice away. Was this just a brave mouse that wandered into the wrong house? Do you he think he has friends? I am pretty traumatized by the whole thing. I managed to get the mouse into the bucket and brought him outside and let him go. My husband says he is going to come back. How do I get my kitties to step up and do their feline duties? I don't want them to kill mice but at least be scary so they wont come back.

 

[basscat]

Kind of depends on the cat I think.
I have one that might actually defend a mouse.

 

[catsknowme]

hmmm....that is a very unusual sight! Typically, when the mouse runs off, the cat's prey drive kicks in and pursuit begins. However, hunting skills are a combination of instinct and education. I have had bottle-babies grow up to catch prey but not kill it.
I wonder how the little critter got inside, though - that would be a concern.
Rodents usually avoid areas where they smell cats

 

[DreamerRose]

My two are excellent mousers. They've caught a mouse each day for the past two days. But, cats like to play with their prey. Your cat was probably doing that. Cats torment and torture the poor mouse until it gets injured and exhausted. This is probably so the mouse doesn't bite them, but on the other hand, I've seen both of mine carry the mouse around to a better spot to play with it.

Give your cat enough time to catch and play with the mouse, which may take a long time. A well-fed cat won't always eat the mouse, either, so the big question is where did they leave it? Hope it's not an inaccessible place.

 

[LTS3]

I have a pet mouse. Neither cat cares for the mouse The mouse doesn't seem to care for the cats either.

Some cats may not have the instinct to hunt prey like mice. I think a mom cat has to show her babies how to hunt

 

[fearlessbenjamn]

I wanted to know where were my three other cats where while Benjamin was trying to protect his family from this rodent. All four of my cats are rescues and have lived on the streets. Now they think they are too good to catch a mouse!

 

[ArtNJ]

The mouse might have been misusing the stay motionless and maybe it won't notice me survival strategy!

I once thought my cats had killed a baby bunny. I went to pick it up with a bag, but it twitch when I touched it. I brought the family out to consider what to do. Went back in and got a cardboard box with lettuce and some water on a plate. Put the bunny in there and it started to hop around like nothing had happened; put it down and it raced off.

My cats can and do kill things outside. But if a mouse or a bug crawls under something and they can't reach it, they just stare. Sometimes they continue staring long after its gone. They may do well outside, but inside they haven't killed much of anything. Maybe if you have a hay filled barn its different. But a house cat in a house isn't worth anything for mousing.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Your cats aren’t the only ones that have harbored a mouse. My girl did for 3 days and probably made friends with it. Rufus would maybe do his job but I don’t keep cats for pest control; they’re my companions.

 

[susanm9006]

No, cats don’t keep mice away. But some cats love to play with them and will chase them til the mouse dies of exhaustion or injuries from being batted. So perhaps yours was just giving it a little rest. And no, if there is one mouse he usually has pals or family somewhere. Check around your foundation and doors for a tiny hole or slit that might be their entryway and close it up. Then set traps for those still inside. There is mouse poison but I wouldn’t use it with a cat or cats around.

 

[DreamerRose]

Benjamin wasn't really staring; he was watching until the mouse moved so he could pounce on it - playing cat and mouse. Sometimes mine will poke it with a paw to get it to move.

My house was Mouse Central until I got my mouse catchers. I had tried everything and had two or three mouse traps out at all times. My kitties are definitely the best pest control.

One time I saw a mouse attack Mingo. The mouse got up on its hind legs, raised its front paws and went straight for Mingo's face. Never saw such an aggressive mouse. It didn't win the battle, though.

 

[Kieka]

Given enough time, a mouse (lizard, grasshopper, etc) won't survive in my house. The cats don't outright kill critters most of the time. Death is usually caused by either injuries or fright. Rocket has endless patience and once she's noticed something bigger than a fly it won't survive. I've seen her stake out a mouse und r a dresser overnight and after work the next day she was waiting for me with her now broken toy. The boys aren't nearly as attentive but she follows them if they have something and takes over when they get bored.

Seeing one mouse isn't cause for alarm because it could just be an explorer who choose the wrong house to explore. If you see multiple then you can look at other options. And most of the ones the cat have are so exhausted that you can pick them up with a towel or napkin to relocate them.

 

[fearlessbenjamn]

If I had cats for pest control, then I would be very disappointed. No pests are being controlled in my house. They don't have time for that

 

[Willowy]

Mice get into my house fairly often. I live in the country so it's to be expected. The cats do kill the mice. I guess the mice still feel like it's an acceptable risk? Or they're just dumb .

That looks like a young rat. Rats are very intelligent and aggressive. It may have been a standoff. Or, since the rat looks a bit rumpled, the cat was batting him around and he figured out that if he didn't move the cat wouldn't pounce on him again. It's pretty hard for cats to kill adult rats. Farmers use terrier dogs for that.

But, no, apparently cat smell doesn't keep rodents away! I used to have ferrets and heard that ferret odor kept rodents away but that's evidently not true either.

 

[Josh Halber]

Kind of depends on the cat I think.
I have one that might actually defend a mouse.

Ya I completely agree it depends on the cat

 

[DreamerRose]

If I had cats for pest control, then I would be very disappointed. No pests are being controlled in my house. They don't have time for that

Love your furry quartet!

 

[daftcat75]

If I had cats for pest control, then I would be very disappointed. No pests are being controlled in my house. They don't have time for that

They all look well-fed enough to not care about hunting. Hungry cats will hunt mice.

 

[She's a witch]

I agree it looks more like a rat, and if that’s the case, well it could’ve been worse

 

[Josh Halber]

Mice get into my house fairly often. I live in the country so it's to be expected. The cats do kill the mice. I guess the mice still feel like it's an acceptable risk? Or they're just dumb .

That looks like a young rat. Rats are very intelligent and aggressive. It may have been a standoff. Or, since the rat looks a bit rumpled, the cat was batting him around and he figured out that if he didn't move the cat wouldn't pounce on him again. It's pretty hard for cats to kill adult rats. Farmers use terrier dogs for that.

But, no, apparently cat smell doesn't keep rodents away! I used to have ferrets and heard that ferret odor kept rodents away but that's evidently not true either.

I never thought about the difference when it comes to rats. Thats a good point

 

[Kitty Lover in Africa]

I have a cat that likes to hunt, and not just for something to play with but she really eats what she catches. But I have heard that kittens have to learn by a certain age that animals like mice, rats, etc. are actually things they can eat. Otherwise, they might play with them or even kill them through instinct, but won't know they can actually eat that thing. My cat's mother brought her kittens various prey when they were still small, so they learned early. It also helps that we have a lot of prey around for them to catch, here in Africa. Most cats in the US don't have nearly as much prey around, unless you live in a very rural area, so they are less likely to learn proper hunting skills.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It all depends on the cat. My previous cat, Berry, adored my pet rats. She wouldn't put up with any OTHER animal in the world, but she adored the rats. But by the same token, I've had cats who caught rats on a regular basis (although two of them would ignore mice...not enough challenge, I guess).