Can one coexist with mice?

[AveAtqueVale]

Recently moved into new house, cat has been at times suspiciously interested in the skirting boards. Today chap went into the eaves space to check insulation and reported there are mouse droppings. Have not noticed any sign of them in the living spaces or the kitchen. The house is very old. Basically, do we have to do anything about this, or can I just let them continue to live their mousey lives behind the walls and in the eaves, and only swing into action if they start encroaching on our living space/ helping themselves to the Frosties? The thought of poisoning them all or evicting them just before winter does not appeal.

Of course you can coexist!

But everything will be nibbled and covered in mousey piss. And it'll all smell musky.

Was the house empty before you moved in? Because if it was then there would have been no need for them to be in the kitchen or living areas but now they're occupied and food is available....

They carry diseases, I wouldn't want them in the house.

Experience has taught me you never quite get rid of mice, they just sort of learn to live more quietly alongside you. If you have a cat, they tend to be a lot more cautious about coming into living spaces anyway because they can smell it. I’d just leave them be unless you start to see evidence of them beyond the attic.

Yeah, they pee and poo everywhere as they run about. Not very nice really.

One can but why would one want to?

They will run over your countertop each night or when you are away, nibble on your foods, produce lots of babies, and appearently they drop miniature drops of piss constantly whenever they move so your whole house will be covered in mice piss.

Well they cause house fires so no.

We did until we extended and blocked their way in. Dog used to catch them (and never hurt one) I think he's upset we stopped his nighttime fun

Your cat will keep them at bay.
Put dry goods like cereals into plastic boxes.

You could put some humane traps in the attic? They do wee and nibble anything.

One can but why would one want to?

I don't, particularly. But I also don't particularly want to kill them. If the cat gets a few then fine, circle of life etc, but unleashing annihilation on them just for existing seems a bit unfair.

I thought the thing about weeing and pooing continuously is a myth? They just scent-mark a lot? And I have to wipe down the worktops every morning anyway because the cat jumps on them in the night even though he's not allowed to .

Much less keen on the idea of house fires though 😱 - hadn't thought of that!

They just scent-mark a lot?

They're not using Marc Jacobs Daisy for that, you know.

They are incredibly messy and destructive - and the pp is right; they can cause fires, as they love eating electric cable. They also eat plastic water pipes, so can also cause leaks and floods (I've had a ceiling ruined by a mouse-eaten water-pipe). I wouldn't be thinking about trying to live with them OP. I'd be starting on Mouse War, right now.

We live next to farmland and sometimes get mice in the winter. They've never come into the house, but we do hear them in the walls sometimes. Whenever we've had a cat they've disappeared completely and gone to the neighbours instead.
So yes, you can co-exist, although they may leave soon.

I do, country house so no choice. I have traps where they get in (cupboard, hall stairs) but other than that they live in the attic, not much I can do about them really here!

Actually, we get shrews, not mice. I don't know if that's a crucial difference or not.

I live in an old house, had a mouse problem and tbh I hated it. Humane traps are IMO useless, they always come back. Couldn't put open poison down as DDog would get at it.
I put down bait traps in strategic places, and dropped poison between the floorboards. I found 2 dead ones and haven't had a problem since. Mind you, the bait traps are still down. I'm not a big fan of extermination but equally I'm even less of a fan of mouse droppings all over my kitchen.

Yes you can, the mice won't do you any harm and they are not in the kitchen. If they venture downstairs they'll be very brave mice as you have a cat! Do wear gloves if you are having a loft clear out, as someone above said there will mouse urine all over.

im pretty sure we have them, as my cat caught one in my sons room which is on the third floor. We have him in a cage now, but am trying to decide what to do with him as he wont survive outside.

They chew through everything, including electric cables. Therefore you definitely don't want them in your house.

You should attempt to keep their numbers down- its not like you will have one family of mice subletting, they breed constantly.

We get mice regularly as we live next to farm land. Once the weather gets cold they come looking for somewhere warmer to live. I expect I will need to be setting the traps soon. I don't like it, as actually ours are rather cute little brown field mice, but as PPs have said, they are very destructive. They can squeeze through the tiniest holes so even things you think are thoroughly sealed in the loft can get chewed up. And yes, they do leave urine and faeces everywhere. We use traditional traps. No point in using humane traps and taking them outdoors as they will be right back. And I would rather a rapid death in a trap for them than poison. Not to mention the fact that we used poison once and ended up with the worst smell in the house as several died under the floorboards and we had to rip up carpets and floorboards to get them out. It was hideous. So we use old fashioned traps with a bit of chocolate as bait.
This does remind me of a funny comment my DD made when she saw one in the house when she was about 5. She thought it was cute and wanted us to stop killing them. I explained that yes, I felt bad about it too, but that they made a dreadful mess and weed and pood everywhere so we had to get rid of them. Quick as a flash she pointed at her baby brother and said "Well he makes a dreadful mess and wees and poos all over the place, but you let HIM stay!" I was temporarily lost for a reply.

They have no bladder so do leave a constant trail of wee. Droppings in your bread bin and mice jumping out of the cereal, chewed packets of rice etc a bit off putting.
You can leave it till it bothers you but you will have to deal with it in the end. They will be put off by cat and don't like smell of peppermint.

If your cats a good hunter they might bugger off rather than be lunch.. if your cat is like mine, he groomed mice and carries them into his bed like they’re kittens they won’t leave and will continue to walk n wee on everything (including the Frosties they get into)

And eventually one will die under something be it a couch or be it a floor board and you’ll can play a great game of hide n find the festering corpse..

Humane traps n dropping them off in the woods is my personal favourite method, I couldn’t kill them and I didn’t want to risk the daft cat eating the poison either, he would definitely try a bit if he got near it.

Get plug in electronic rodent repeller. They emit a high pitched signal that mice cannot stand. The mice will move out.