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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bloody MICE!! AIBU to think we should get a cat?

39 replies

CheapSausagesAndSpam · 25/12/2017 12:11

Happy Christmas to you all...I hope you have a wonderful day.

Now for my AIBU.

AIBU to think that multiple mousetraps, sealing "entrance points" and making sure all food sources are sealed (ie, pasta in sealed tubs and so forth) should have got rid of mice?

That if I've done all those things then I shouldn't still have the creepy little buggers!?

For background I live in Australia in a pre war house which is, to put it nicely, a bit of a shack.

It's got bare floorboards and gaps all over the place. It's just OLD and neglected.

No cash to do it up and we love it here..I just can't beat the mice!

It's rural and they just come in from outside all the time....I think they've grown wise to the traps now.

.I've told DH we need a cat....he's Hmm about this but I think a cat will sort the issue as they're just constantly coming in from outside.

AIBU? I bloody love cats anyway.

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 25/12/2017 12:16

Get a cat, you will not regret it.

MyBumpIsOnlyPudding · 25/12/2017 12:20

Cats are amazing, definitely get a cat if you can give it a good home! But maybe don't expect it to catch mice haha ours have all been lousy mousers!!

Original poster
CheapSausagesAndSpam · 25/12/2017 12:20

I think it's the only way....I can't keep them down!

OP posts:
Original poster
CheapSausagesAndSpam · 25/12/2017 12:21

Bump oh no! I admit that I had the idea they all caught mice!

OP posts:
ISaySteadyOn · 25/12/2017 12:24

We got a cat for this exact reason. Haven't seen any since.

lalalonglegs · 25/12/2017 12:26

Some of them aren't very good at catching mice but I think the mice sense them/smell them and stay away.

Original poster
CheapSausagesAndSpam · 25/12/2017 12:27

Right. That's it! We're having one! thanks all.

OP posts:
newme175 · 25/12/2017 12:27

Get a girl cat and if possible with any Bengal in them. We have a quarter Bengal girl and she brings us lots of mice and other presents.... but the moggy boy we have is not into hunting at all ;)

WeirdAndPissedOff · 25/12/2017 12:30

Can you rehome a farm/less domestic cat? As they are more likely to be better mousers.
We have 6 domestic cats - 3 are avid hunters, 1 is when the mood takes him, and the last 2 don't catch anything as one is too lazy and the other clueless. (We actually had an injured mouse get into the kitchen once, and she just followed it round nosing at it).

CheesecakeAddict · 25/12/2017 12:36

We got a cat and it just shat all over the house and was too lazy to catch the mice Hmm

mintbiscuit · 25/12/2017 12:37

Cat or snake. Both will keep them away. Apparently even snake poo deters them.

We went for cats as more cuddley option. No more mice since we got them. But as you are in Oz and snakes are more accessible... Xmas Grin

GlampingQueen · 25/12/2017 12:44

Get two cats. Double the cutenessz

Clandestino · 25/12/2017 12:49

We have two cats and the house is mostly mice-free despite living beside a field. They bring some living toys from time to time but otherwise we are clean. No rats, mice or even rabbits (they leave those for my neighbour who gives them to a hunter living nearby for his dogs).

SomeOtherDay · 25/12/2017 12:49

Yes, get a cat!

We’re in an old house and kept getting mice even after we’d sealed every tiny hole we could find. Laid poison and traps but never caught any. Got a cat and have been mouse free since!

Hoppinggreen · 25/12/2017 12:57

Don’t get a cat, get 2

MsHooliesCardigan · 25/12/2017 12:59

Get a cat. This is what you’re missing

Bloody MICE!! AIBU to think we should get a cat?
Firenight · 25/12/2017 13:06

That’s why we got a cat. Problem solved inside but we do have to monitor her coming in and out or she would bring them in.

PerveSwerve · 25/12/2017 13:17

Yes, absolutely do. We live in an old house, with odd gaps created by the odd angles of the building. We've never had a problem with mice, despite several other neighbours having them (and they are on the whole cleaner and tidier than I). Only difference is we've always had cards. If you get a rescue cat or two they should be able to let you know which of their cats has a high prey drive, which will obviously help.

Balearica · 25/12/2017 13:19

Yes that was why I originally got cats. It has worked perfectly and have not seen a mouse for four or five years now. The bonus is we all adore the cats.

Apparently kittens learn mousing from their mothers so try and find either a mature cat with a track record as a mouser or a kitten whose mother is a mouser, as a PP said, farm cats tend to be good mousers.

Our moggy is excellent, our pedigree has the will but no skills :)

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/12/2017 13:20

Get as many cats as you like (we have 7 currently although some are fostered and we could soon go down to 4 Sad) but YANBU to think having cats = dealing with a mouse problem.

They might kill the mice in the house but they will also go out and find more and bring them inside to play with, often in front of guests, before eating every last scrap except a random offal item or two.

If they get bored with mice, they might move on to rats, squirrels, birds (especially fun for them because they can leave a trail of feathers everywhere preferably soon after you have vacuumed) or whatever other wildlife you have in your vicinity.

reallybadidea · 25/12/2017 13:21

We've had far fewer problems with mice since our two died; I suspect the buggers were bringing in live ones. That or we had mice who liked a challenge!

DotCottonDotCom · 25/12/2017 13:47

AIBU to think that multiple mousetraps, sealing "entrance points" and making sure all food sources are sealed (ie, pasta in sealed tubs and so forth) should have got rid of mice?
Yeah people talk old wives tales. Mice will go where they go. Yeah food will encourage but they like clean homes.
Mouse traps are hit and miss. The more “humane” they are the more shit they are. Thing is if you cannot keep on top of them they breed and breed and it’s hell. Poison, makes them crawl into the walls and die. You can seal any points but mice are so small their bodies can get through holes the size of a pen hole.

The only thing that ever works, and eradicated mice in our stair, was glue traps. Fucking horrendous but that’s what we were led to.

However if want a cat for more than just a pest, and as a pet, bash on! I wish we could

Goodgirl7 · 25/12/2017 13:52

Two cats!

NotEnoughCats · 25/12/2017 14:43

If you do decide to get a cat (or two) just check the council regulations in your area. We used to live in Australia with (indoor) cats, and I know that some council areas either restrict the number of them, or they can limit the amount of access to the outside, for example not allowed out at night or not allowed outside at all. We had a mouse problem at one point, but it was underneath the house, in an area that our cats didn't have access to and we never saw any inside the house. We also had fewer spiders in the house once we got the cats, which was a lovely bonus!

RhiannonOHara · 25/12/2017 14:56

Yes, get one. They don’t need to actually hunt. We used to have a useless cat who couldn’t catch a cold, but we had mice before we got her and never saw a whisker all the time she lived with us. Word will get around that you’re a cat household and they’ll stay away.