What to do with wounded mouse (might be a bit gruesome)

[Thekitten]

Posting here for traffic as original thread in the litter tray got no response.
My cat brought in a mouse a couple of days ago, and I found that she'd wounded it to the point where it was still alive but couldn't move it's back legs.

I caught and released it into a nearby field, but I'm worried I've sent it to a long slow death, instead of a quick one by my own hand - which I just can't bring myself to do. Was I unreasonable? What's the most humane thing to do here?

If you're going to have an outdoor cat you should be prepared to put it's victims out of its misery really. In reality it probably didn't have a quick clean death but hopefully you'll know what to do next time now

I wouldn't leave anything with a cat! They're sadistic bastards.

I'm surprised no one else has suggested this, but injured mice used to go in the freezer when I was growing up (in a box). They get cold, go to sleep, die.

I think I'd go for the brick idea now.

😭😭😭 why does anyone keep cats and why let them outside to kill. Poor mouse.

You can't put a mammal in the fucking freezer to die

This is why I can't own a cat

Plastic bag and brick.... Simultaneously gruesome and humane.

Ah I feel awful now, my friends cat was playing with a mouse and I took it off her and put it under a bush, no visible wounds but it had gone when I checked. Probably should have left it to the cat.

If there were no visible wounds then I’d do the same. If it can just run off it’s probably ok. Have done his lots with one cat who didn’t have killer instinct.

Our dcat sometimes brings us a half dead creature. I dispatch it with a swift blunt trauma to the head. Feels awful to do but I feel better than letting it crawl off to die slowly and painfully
He has a bell on his collar which seems to have drastically reduced his kill rate.
He does still occasionally leave us entrails as a gift though

I always feel terrible when this happens but I usually go for the garden trowel method. Deep breaths and one short form whack. Always managed it first time - as pps have said, I think you owe it to your cat's victims to put them out of their misery as quickly as possible. But I won't pretend I don't get upset or feel slightly sick each time.

Honestly, I'd have taken it to the vets and paid for treatment. Thankfully, my cats don't hunt often, and on the rare occasions they have, have finished the job before I could intervene or knew about it.

In terms of the vets, I hear you, but the trauma of the journey, plus the issue of getting half-dead mouse, toddler and car seat into taxi and back again (or a 45-minute walk with seriously injured mouse in the buggy basket) means I consider the trowel method proportionate - I think its suffering is over faster.

I'd be interested to hear from any vets but I can't imagine them offering anything other than euthanasia for a mouse with a probable broken back/severed spinal cord/abdominal trauma.

I'd be interested to hear from any vets but I can't imagine them offering anything other than euthanasia for a mouse with a probable broken back/severed spinal cord/abdominal trauma.

Growing up we would take wee animals which looked unharmed and would release them elsewhere. Our cats would bring in all sorts - rats, mice, rabbits and once a stoat. If there was damage then the cats were left to get on with it.

A shovel to the back of the head was used if the cats had gone off and left the thing. Ours were farm cats though and tended to finish what they had started.

Brave cat to take on a stoat!

I give them (usually rats, big farm cat ) to the dog, one shake and they are dead, second shake and they have rejoined the carbon/nitrogen cycles. She, the dog, has dispatched many a myxy rabbit (and yes she eats those too)

Brave or stupid maid.

The story has gone down in family folklore. My mum picked it up by the tail thinking it was dead. There were arcs of blood up all the walls. It spin round and screamed at her. She dropped it and it ran into a bedroom. We were barricaded in the sitting room by the fire guard and my dad tackled the issue wearing only his y-fronts and a pair of wellies. Cat was found and hurled into the bedroom to finish the job

Don't have cats but have had house mice. If a trap's caught but not killed one I usually drop the mouse and trap into a bucket of water to drown. Not nice, but they're a health hazard, I'd rather not touch it or risk it getting away. And then get a different brand of trap.

I'd flush it down the toilet. Thankfully my cats only do dead as a door nail or alive and kicking gifts. Alives are caught in the special ice cream tub and released outside. Those less fortunate are double bagged and binned. We live rurally and this is a daily treat.

Collars and bells don't make any difference to the rodent death tally, birds yes but rodents sadly no.

Passmethecrisps

I think it was the idea of a grown man in wellies and pants hurling a cat which sent me over into fits of giggles.

I bumped into an old friend and got invited to supper. She had married a vet. We had pheasant for supper. Over a very pleasant meal it was revealed that the pheasant had been hit by a car and the very concerned driver had taken it to the vet. Despite being (just) out of hours he only charged her £10 to "put it out of its misery". It was well tenderised and very tasty.

Don't have cats but have had house mice. If a trap's caught but not killed one I usually drop the mouse and trap into a bucket of water to drown. Not nice, but they're a health hazard, I'd rather not touch it or risk it getting away. And then get a different brand of trap.

Well that's just fucking cruel

People would seriously take a mouse tgqrvhad been caught by a cat and paralysed to the vet for treatment? I think I might have heard it all now!