Aargh another bloody rat!

[Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain]

Cat just sauntered around garden with a smallish rat in her mouth, tried to get a pic but can’t…she keeps running off with it. Thank god my cat flap is closed…

I thought at 12 years old she was too old. Why is she catching things now?

She caught another one (rat) a week or so ago but before that only cute wood mice.

No idea where these cursed rats are coming from but don’t want to put down poison. Garden tidied recently. No bird seed.

Ideas?

I think I’ll just stop feeding the birds…. The wood mice used to live in the bird feeder you’d see them running up and down it. Very cute. Cat couldn’t climb up there though despite probably wanting to.

I once had a neighbour who hated my cats. Until one of them started disposing of rats in the area. Once he saw that he was all for the cats being there.

That cat was amazing. Despite being a bit of a fat ball himself he was pure instinct with rodents. A veritable hunting machine. Once he cat and killed a rat bigger than him. Amazing.

Neighbour's cat was ferocious, he used to go down to the local brook and bring back rats daily for NDN. Some of them seemed huge but he'd swagger down the street very proud of his latest catch. He seemed to be very efficient as every rat he brought back was dead. I imagine the rat population has flourished since he died of old age.

Props to that cat!

They are so proud aren’t they?! You almost can’t tell them off. It’s like end of term report day for them.

I've stopped feeding the birds too.
It's such a shame as I really loved it.

Anyone struggling with rats - I am prepared to pimp out my terrier, who has never knowingly allowed anything with legs to get past her.

The downside is that you have then to live with my terrier. She's brutal.

My cat has lost all cat flap priviledge because of his hunting skills. He now has to ask to come in, which he does, and prove that his mouth is empty.

I mean the ones that your cat is catching. In your first post you wanted to know how your cat was suddenly able to catch them despite being older and never previously a rat-catcher.

But that’s the thing. I’ve not owned her all her life. Only since lockdown. Her original owners live in a townhouse with small garden and rarely let her and her sister in so they tried to move in with several people on the street. I spoke to her owners as they got a dog and they told me I could have her gave me her vets card. Her sister moved away, got on a bus or something now living in Croydon! Vet called old owners after they scanned chipped cat. She did used to go on local buses or maybe got in a car. I used to see both of them regularly out past midnight so am sure they caught rats then. My cat also petrified of storms and fireworks maybe she witnessed too many of them when out late.

She has always been an excellent hunter though my cat. Lots of mice and frogs from outside which was why I closed cat flaps and only let her in and out via French windows and check for mice. Why on earth rats now I don’t know but they’re living in local area. Saw one fairly near French windows well in patio area but away from patio, saw him/her very clearly, about week or two ago, looked very healthy and an adult. My stepdad when he was over helping me garden saw some rats too but earlier this year and at back of garden. I wasn’t that worried then as long as they weren’t in house and the cat then was not catching them. This rat was I saw was walking along bold as brass and confident but between gardens near fence. My cat was inside then!

I had my old cat Felix when I had mice living in house (house mice) he’d come downstairs past cupboard on stairs which was boarded up (old gas and electric meters in there) he could smell and hear mice as he’d stop and listen and stare at that exact spot but couldn’t reach them of course! Very frustrating! When they spread in the house he did catch them. Half Siamese half moggy.

Are you sure about this? 😁
I don’t think my cat worries at all about my well-being. Call me cynical…

My cat is very soppy and a Velcro cat. However she is also a mean hunter when she wants to be. And a great fighter. But her nemesis next door moved away…

Another day another rat. Such beautiful weather yesterday that I let down my guard and had the back door wide open. My bad. I was alerted by a lot of noise, it really sounded like a frightened bird, but it wasn’t, it was the loudest rat in the country squeaking for help. I think it was quite young, possibly calling for its mummy, who luckily ignored it. The cat stood back so I could admire his new friend and the rat scooted behind the washing machine. I told the cat he was confined to the kitchen until he had sorted the situation out. Which to be fair he did. 🌞🐈🐀

Oh poor little thing. Are you in the countryside?