cat bringing mice into house

[Gonnagetgoing]

So I have a lovely cat. Who it would appear (not using the cat flaps for obvious reasons, e.g. other cats etc, just using french windows to let her in and out) has been letting mice into the house.

It's not just been me in the house recently, various other visitors including workmen, family visiting, friends (including one staying see other post!), and I can't be sure that cat has rushed in really quickly and due to tiredness, dim lighting etc has had a mouse in her mouth and I've not seen it!

So: 1. How do I stop the cat bringing in live mice? If I give her a filthy look re the mice she looks at me like eg confused/innocent cat!

Have so far (with help of DB visiting) set some traps in my bedroom where mouse is lodging.

1. Do you feel sorry if the traps (one was humane but it's taken the cheese from the trap and not been caught) kill the mouse? Mixture of snap and humane. It's either that or cat gets mouse but don't want snap traps to injure cat.

I know it's the fecking cat bringing in mice because I did have mice downstairs and upstairs but blocked all their holes with help of pest controller and no way on earth they could get in now unless they have industrial strength tools.

@PinkBallPit

Mine does a weird sort of yowl/meow when he's brought something home so I know to be careful letting him in.

For a cat missing an eye and a leg he can still hunt remarkably well!

Mine both do that. Why is it always in the middle of the night?

I was awake very late the other night, sitting on the couch. Dcat padded in, limp mouse carefully nestled between his jaws, marched straight past me and up the stairs. Clearly he thinks DS needs fattening up.

I’ve searched the house for the mouse but no sign. Which is weird because usually they leave us the head, or the kidneys. I’m a bit worried…

Ah yes. This is why I wear slippers

Our long- gone cat used to bring live mice in. We usually managed to catch them - including one memorable time when one actually ran up inside the leg of dd’s jeans! I’d thought this only happened in cartoons!

It was midwinter, cue raucous mirth all round as she hopped up and down on a frosty lawn at night, trying to get her jeans off and let poor little mousie escape.

@RunAwayNow

High protein cat food is the only thing that we've found to take the edge off it.

In the last week my cat hasn't just brought home assorted mice and voles, but also 2 fully grown rats, a rabbit and a massive wood pigeon. And this is a good week

I am looking into the high protein cat food! She's getting those Sheba pates right now!

I feel your pain re other animals - thank F the only other animals she could potentially get are woodpeckers, owls and bats. But think they're rare since redevelopment of land.

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

I was awake very late the other night, sitting on the couch. Dcat padded in, limp mouse carefully nestled between his jaws, marched straight past me and up the stairs. Clearly he thinks DS needs fattening up.

I’ve searched the house for the mouse but no sign. Which is weird because usually they leave us the head, or the kidneys. I’m a bit worried…

@ZZTopGuitarSolo - the mouse my cat brought in I think was in bedroom for 2-3 weeks but I dismissed any strange sounds I heard.

Your cat has either eaten the mouse or it's set up home! Be thankful it's probably only a lone one!

@Curtainpoleofdoom

OMG. We don’t have cats but someone else’s cat has started to do this to us! He sits on my DD windowsill with a dead mouse in his mouth yowling. I assumed he ate them but have started to find the bodies lined up outside her window. He used to have a collar but he’s lost it and I don’t know which house he belongs to.

@Curtainpoleofdoom - I'm so sorry - you have me in fits of giggles now! Not even your cat! Lovely wakeup call for your DD not!

The cat (neighbours) obviously has taken a fancy to your DD/you with these lavish 'gifts'!

We think he’s got a thing for DH. Mr Cat is always asking for him. They have quite good chats.

One of mine likes to bring me frogs. They squeal and it's pretty alarming. One night i woke to him putting a frog on my face.

@OddestSock

One of mine likes to bring me frogs. They squeal and it's pretty alarming. One night i woke to him putting a frog on my face.

@OddestSock - all my old cats used to bring in frogs but only sometimes the frogs would squeal/scream - and the sound is like something out of a horror film!

You're giving me League of Gentlemen Denton family vibes with uncle Harvey and his toads (same as frogs!) in the house!

@Curtainpoleofdoom

We think he’s got a thing for DH. Mr Cat is always asking for him. They have quite good chats.

@Curtainpoleofdoom - ah that's so cute!

I see your mice and raise you a rat, two pigeons, a toad and a baby frog! My two are lethal jet black ninjas. Even with three bells on each! Just makes them up their training.

Feenie that's amateur! Girl Madcat raises you two live rats (they were quite young but an absolute pig to get out of the house) and a young duckling brought up two flights of stairs to where we work (that was during the first lockdown when all the rescue places were shut).

Boy Madcat is less maternal. We've confiscated enough birds and mice from him (usually dead) for him to twig that he should lob them about outdoors.

Good luck OP

We have this A LOT. It's why I always shut our cats in the kitchen overnight, detains the issue. However, we then get "lost" mice under the cabinets, in the oven, and under the fridge and washing machines. If they refuse to be caught, and I am a great catcher, I just leap on them with my bare hands, only been bitten once, and throw them outside. Don't bother trapping their tails, they drop off, bleuch.

I have lost sympathy for them over time, if they refuse to be caught, I put traps down, nutella seems to be the favourite here, and they rarely fail.

I have three top trumps disgusting stories for you:

1. Forgot I had set a trap, which had been successful. Couldn't understand why my kitchen full of flies. Pulled out the kick boards and the under cupboard was full of maggots, partially grown flylets, and flying flies. Needed a strong stomach for that one.

2. Knew we had lost a mouse one summer, as there was a nasty smell by the oven for several weeks. Then it went and we forgot about it. Put the second oven on, on xmas day, and the most revolting stench emanated from the oven. Definitely dead mouse heating up and burning. Haven't used that oven again in the last seven years!!

3. Increasingly suspect smell from behind the fridge. Cleaned it, pulled it out, bleached it, thought is was some rotting food. Could see mouse droppings in the drip tray, cleaned those out, bleached. Smell continues. Finally, by pocking around with a stick, dislodge dead mouse from under the condenser. Little bugger had got lodge under it and died. Bastard!

Anyway, yes mice are cute, but if you can't catch them, definitely put traps down. My tolerance is limited by experience.

I read that if you leave a open jar against the skirting board, a mouse trying to escape will always run around the edges of a room and voila! Will run into the jar. Have also used a towel for mice and birds.

If you can’t see the mouse but sort of have a general idea where they are, then I put down an old welly boot on its side and I put some wild bird seed in the neck of the boot.

It’s surprising how many mice I’ve caught this way. The idea is the food tempts them, and then the darkness of the boot becomes their hidey hole. I just keep checking and if I can hear them inside, I pick up the boot quickly and let them outside.

It also means that they keep coming back to the boot to eat, so I know they’re not causing destruction elsewhere.

I don’t like traps unless nothing else has worked. Just found evidence last night of a mouse, so off to go find my wellingtons this morning - and I don’t even have a cat anymore!

The mouse isn't staying in your bedroom 24/7 . It's wandering about the house

@ImFree2doasiwant

The mouse isn't staying in your bedroom 24/7 . It's wandering about the house

Oh fuck! Luckily my house guest is leaving tomorrow morning.

The cat is on hot bricks every few minutes thinking it can see said mouse - but I've had workmen in this week as well as moved things around in rooms so was thinking cat was a bit unnerved by that... probably not eh! I have only seen said mouse twice in my bedroom, once at dusk (5.30ish) and once at 11.30pm but heard it numerous times.

@sleepymum50

I read that if you leave a open jar against the skirting board, a mouse trying to escape will always run around the edges of a room and voila! Will run into the jar. Have also used a towel for mice and birds.

If you can’t see the mouse but sort of have a general idea where they are, then I put down an old welly boot on its side and I put some wild bird seed in the neck of the boot.

It’s surprising how many mice I’ve caught this way. The idea is the food tempts them, and then the darkness of the boot becomes their hidey hole. I just keep checking and if I can hear them inside, I pick up the boot quickly and let them outside.

It also means that they keep coming back to the boot to eat, so I know they’re not causing destruction elsewhere.

I don’t like traps unless nothing else has worked. Just found evidence last night of a mouse, so off to go find my wellingtons this morning - and I don’t even have a cat anymore!

Good idea re wellingtons. will probably scatter a few round the house!

@BigWoollyJumpers

We have this A LOT. It's why I always shut our cats in the kitchen overnight, detains the issue. However, we then get "lost" mice under the cabinets, in the oven, and under the fridge and washing machines. If they refuse to be caught, and I am a great catcher, I just leap on them with my bare hands, only been bitten once, and throw them outside. Don't bother trapping their tails, they drop off, bleuch.

I have lost sympathy for them over time, if they refuse to be caught, I put traps down, nutella seems to be the favourite here, and they rarely fail.

I have three top trumps disgusting stories for you:

1. Forgot I had set a trap, which had been successful. Couldn't understand why my kitchen full of flies. Pulled out the kick boards and the under cupboard was full of maggots, partially grown flylets, and flying flies. Needed a strong stomach for that one.

2. Knew we had lost a mouse one summer, as there was a nasty smell by the oven for several weeks. Then it went and we forgot about it. Put the second oven on, on xmas day, and the most revolting stench emanated from the oven. Definitely dead mouse heating up and burning. Haven't used that oven again in the last seven years!!

3. Increasingly suspect smell from behind the fridge. Cleaned it, pulled it out, bleached it, thought is was some rotting food. Could see mouse droppings in the drip tray, cleaned those out, bleached. Smell continues. Finally, by pocking around with a stick, dislodge dead mouse from under the condenser. Little bugger had got lodge under it and died. Bastard!

Anyway, yes mice are cute, but if you can't catch them, definitely put traps down. My tolerance is limited by experience.

@BigWoollyJumpers - that's the thing - cats have always been locked in overnight - they never stay out overnight due to fights, foxes and bringing vermin in.

In a previous house as a teenager - I plunged my hand down sofa to clean it and brought out dead mouse skeleton.

I hear your top trumps disgusting stories and raise you:-

As a child in childhood home there were rats due to large overgrown garden behind houses - and also a council dump (since been built on). Childhood tabby was a great ratter:-

1: rat managed somehow to get in old disused tumble drier, cat probably brought it in. Heard squeaking inside and saw it. Stepdad dragged tumble drier outside and set fire (with wood) to tumble drier. Even after that (and drier of course didn't work anymore) no sign of said rat...

2: rat in gas fire inside house, cat brought it in, you know the one everyone had as children in 70s? had to get gas board in to disconnect and reconnect gas fire.

3: so many memories of cat dragging dead and alive dead rats the size of itself and stepdad flushing dead bodies down toilet!

4: DM has fond memories of finding very neat piles of feet, tail but not body or head of said rats - she was very impressed with the neatness!

5: once when parents were sleeping downstairs as relatives staying - mouse was in living room - stepdad managed to catch it with fishing net and ran up the hill next to our house to release said mouse, people must've thought we were mad!

Loving the childhood stories.

We had two sister cats when I was young. They excelled in distracting and rounding up pigeons. They took great delight in bringing them in and de-feathering them. The number of times poor Dad had to break necks and put them out of their misery. Feathers..... hate feathers....to this day.

@ButtonSister

The cat is simply rehoming mice out of the cold and wet into the warm inside, and you want to put them in the cold again?

I hope you are joking or being sarcastic. Mice need to stay outdoors!

Our current cat thankfully doesn't appear to be much of a hunter or if she is she isn't bringing things home! But this thread has reminded me of our old girl who once brought in a mouse, proudly dropped it at DH's feet where, a few seconds later, it sprang up and shot under the bath. Cat looked at the spot where she'd dropped it, then at DH as if to say 'well I can't believe that just happened, how embarrassing' turned on her heel and stormed off to bed Took us 10 minutes to poke it out from under the bath with a broom handle!

@femfemlicious it was a joke but my cat swears that is why she brings them in

@ButtonSister pheww glad to hear that...uou never know with mumsnetters😁. I hate mice sooo much. I almost had a nervous breakdown when i used to have them they would keep me up all night scratching around. They only way i was able to get rid of them with poison and by throwing away my toaster...i still dont have a toaster now😢

DM has fond memories of finding very neat piles of feet, tail but not body or head of said rats - she was very impressed with the neatness!

I am impressed by this, too. IME, they usually leave just the guts. Usually somewhere that you will find them by treading on them before you see them.

My mother was once woken on Easter morning by her cat wiping a bloodied rabbit paw over her face. Not quite the Easter bunny visit she wanted...