To get a cat because we have a recurring rodent problem?

[gigi556]

We live in a Victorian terrace. We moved in 4 years ago. For the first 9 months we never saw a mouse BUT we had a much loved Yorkshire Terrier. Sadly, she passed away. Since then (so for the past 3 years!) we get mice coming into the house constantly. We've tried everything:
Snap traps
Glue traps
Humane traps
Electric traps
Poison (they don't eat it!)
Sealing holes
Those plug in things that make noise

We do manage to eventually trap them and then don't have an issue for a month or two and then they come back. We even had rats in the floor at one point. We don't think they ever came in the house but it was unnerving and we think (hope) they've gone now. We never did manage to trap the rats.

We try to have traps around all the time now and we are constantly on alert as to whether we have a current rodent problem.

I've been considering getting a cat for the last year as it's the only thing we haven't tried. Is this an insane reason to get a cat (or two)? I'm at my wits end. Am I trading one headache for another?

I've never had cats and I'm not even sure if I like them 😬 I was a bit traumatized by my elderly dog's final year and I've been put off the responsibility of having a pet. I'm really torn. I don't desperately want a pet. In fact, I think I'd prefer not... BUT I also really want to stop CONSTANTLY worrying about mice.

@blackkitty1234
I think we'd fall in love a cat? My son is (although young) very keen. He loves them. Always wants to stop and chat to them. Likes visiting our friends and neighbors with cats etc.

I understand the lifetime commitment having had a dog which i guess is my hesitation but feel cats are less tying than a dog. For example my DH and I work from home now so could easily slot a dog in now but things could be different in 10 years. I kind of feel like you don't have to consider those sorts of things with a cat as much as my understanding is they can be left longer when you go out in the day. We would definitely adopt an adult.

My cat never brought in anything, but we never had any issues until she died and we were suddenly inundated with a a relieved rat population.

Some cats aren't that into people, and are very independent - if you're not bothered about having a cuddly pet, it might be nice to rehome one of those that I imagine don't get as much attention in rescues?

Following with interest and we’re in a similar situation. We actually used to have 2 cats and since they’ve died mice have become a huge problem. Victorian terrace too and it’s just impossible to keep them out.

I just want to wait until my youngest child is out of nappies though!

@Pukkatea a lot of people have told me that cats and dogs even keep rodents away just because of the smell so I guess the cats don't necessarily have to catch anything just living in the house deters them from
Coming in

Some cats hunt very effectively, some run some sort of weird catch and release system... and some will literally just watch as mice run round them.

The problem is, you don’t know which it is really till you have it and it’s confronted with something to hunt.

Also, my current cat does hunt and kill small rodents - but we have a mouse (or something) coming in just now and it never comes out to where she can get at it...

But cats are very low maintenance pets compared to dogs though, food, water, litter trays and a bit of affection when they want it and they’re perfectly happy.

We got my cat from an independent rescue ten years ago to help with a mouse problem.

She had been found as a stray and was around 18 months old.
It took her a month to settle in but one morning I came down to 6/7 bodies laid out at the back door.
I like to think it was her way of saying thank you for rescuing her.

Never saw another one after that. She's currently enjoying her retirement stalking birds

Two more cats later, we were very lucky to get a mouser. The other two couldn't catch a cold.

IME female cats are better mousers

Ha ha ha take that up with silky cat who thinks she has to sit down and have a polite conversation with the mouse.

Out of 4 girls I'd say I've had 2 serial killers, one mildly effective and one totally useless.

And all of them have been completely useless for actual mice in the house.

Although they are all different, I think it will also depend on the situation they are in. Our cat was an adult rescue, apparently kept indoors for the first 2 years of her life. We then had her in a town for 3 years with a small garden and she never caught anything. Moved to the countryside and she's always getting mice and even rats! Sometimes they just need the opportunity. Also agree that cats are much lower maintenance than dogs - especially if they have free access to a garden via a cat flap. Ours is v friendly but doesn't seem to mind being left for a day while at work etc.

[quote gigi556]@blackkitty1234
I think we'd fall in love a cat? My son is (although young) very keen. He loves them. Always wants to stop and chat to them. Likes visiting our friends and neighbors with cats etc.

I understand the lifetime commitment having had a dog which i guess is my hesitation but feel cats are less tying than a dog. For example my DH and I work from home now so could easily slot a dog in now but things could be different in 10 years. I kind of feel like you don't have to consider those sorts of things with a cat as much as my understanding is they can be left longer when you go out in the day. We would definitely adopt an adult. [/quote]
I'd say go for it then.

Fingers crossed the mice will steer clear even if said cat is a rubbish mouser. Hopefully it will still be a deterrent.

That's great that you will adopt an adult cat. Than you! There are so many needing homes and they are sadly often overlooked in place of kittens. I have fostered both kittens and adult cats for rescue, and I preferred the adults (although I loved them all). The kittens would climb up my curtains and scratch my carpets, and just generally behave as kittens whereas the adults were more chilled. I have a dog too and I agree that cats are easier. I am on maternity leave just now but I used to work an eight hour shift and know that the cats would be fine, whereas the dog would need a dog walker or sometimes I'd put her in daycare. The cost of vet bills/ insurance is significantly less for the cats, even their food costs less. So I'd say they are definitely lower maintenance.

Good luck in adopting your new cat (if that's what you decide to you) and I hope it makes a difference to your mouse problem.

@AlCalavicci

Would you consider a ferret / polecat ? they are very good mousers and can fit into spaces that a cat wont . I had 2 and often took them to friends houses to get rid of the mice and rats , they caught and killed them and also the smell of the polecats put the mice off coming back for a while. ( I earnt good beer money doing it )

Or a good terrier, maybe jack Russell

I grew up in an old house in the countryside with a mice problem and the only thing that worked was a cat. When you get a cat the mice very quickly move out. Every so often we would realise we had a mouse and the cat would catch it within a few days. They do bring in mice and sometimes let them go in the house but was nowhere near as bad as the original mouse problem.

When we moved in to our current house there was a massive mouse problem. The house had been unoccupied for sometime and they'd evidently made themselves at home.

Our cat was killing 2 or 3 A DAY minimum for the first couple of weeks- it was carnage. I usually started my day by dealing with victims of a mass murderer. She seemed to be having a brilliant time never seen her so bouncy and happy before or since The mice moved out pretty quickly.

A cat can be a good solution but keep in mind you may end up with a lazy cat that just can not be bothered. Even then the mice won't be overly keen on co-habiting but you need a feline with a killer instinct our other cat is so lazy that a mouse could probably curl up in her basket with her and she'd not raise a paw

If adopting an adult be upfront and tell the rescue that you want a pet and rodent control so that they can find the right one. I have had a few cats over the years, some liked to hunt and some didn’t bother. If you get the right cat it will definitely solve your problem.

I can't believe someone would freely admit to using glue traps. Fucking disgustingly cruel.

My cat seaded a mouse colony into my kitchen. Bllody useless cat!

Get yourself a jack russell, that'll sort them.

there are mice problems in my apartment block apparently - I have a cat, and never had this,
Many years ago I asked next door if they'd look after her for the weekend while I was away; neighbours first question was "will she catch the rats?" apparently they used to see them regularly.

When we go on holiday, despite being an indoor cat at home, she will usually catch several in the course of a week (cottage on a farm) - yes, she does bring them as gifts, sometimes alive, otherwise dead bodies, but she is always very pleased with herself.

Sounds like a good idea to me as long as you're prepared for everything that goes with cat ownership which it sounds like you are. This is the reason cats were domesticated in the first place. I agree adopting an adult cat with a reputation for being a good mouser is sensible as there are certainly some duff cats when it comes to hunting. Our cat when I was little was quite good at it and he very seldom released a live one into the house, though it did happen one or two times.

I've been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and they were desperate for a cat due to being overrun with mice and Pa just paid 50 cents for a kitten, which I gather was a lot.

I got a cat for this exact reason two years ago and I haven't seen a single live mouse since. Occasionally the cat leaves the bodies in the kitchen for me to find but (so far) hasn't brought me anything live. From the first day it was like a weight had been lifted - I hadn't realised how much the mice had been impacting my mental health until they were gone.

Obviously only go for it if you're ready to commit to the cat even in the event it turns out not to be a good hunter (I have a friend whose cat is so uninterested in mice that they can eat from his bowl in front of him and he doesn't lift a paw), but as long as it'll be loved and cared for no matter what, I think it's as good a reason as any to adopt one.

Well whether you get a cat or not please don’t use glue traps or poison. Very slow and painful death, just horrible.

We live next to a field and every so often a mouse comes inside. Dcat sorts them out very quickly.

She stays in at night and I know when she has seen a mouse because I hear her running madly around the house. She's a good mouser.

Definitely don't get a Persian. Mine could t catch a cold. Which I am extremely glad about!

We adopted our cat from a family where she had been mainly an indoor cat, with limited access to a garden with fake lawn. She was three, and had never climbed a tree, caught anything, and also only ate cat food, wouldn’t take titbits.

She’s now almost seven, climbs like a monkey, a brutal killer, wails for bits of ham, and once almost made off with a whole roast chicken whuch was resting on the side. Apparently mice live in the garden wall between us and next door, although we had no idea before she came here.

I had always been a dog person, DP was the cat person, but I love her so very much. She was stressed and anxious living in a house with little children, and re-homing her was the absolute best thing her family could have done. I still keep in touch with her former “mum”, and she knows she has a lovely life as queen of this house. (Currently snoozing on a heated throw.)

@gigi556

For people suggesting we fill all holes.... ITS A VICTORIAN TERRACE. There are holes everywhere and they can run between the houses. It's a nightmare.

We suspect they get in from outside somewhere and go into under the void in the kitchen and then into the walls and floorboards.

We used to live in a similar house - pest control guy from the council went round the house with us and showed us how to look for gaps and what to fill them in with (expanding foam with steel wool stuffed in it). It worked for us. As did getting a cat 😻 But then I'm a cat lady 😽

We moved to another house later and before the removal guys unloaded, DH scoured the house for gaps and filled them in. Because of where I live, lots of neighbours have had rodent problems but we haven't (touches steel wool and ginger tom 🤣)

We got two cats for this very reason. Didn't hunt initially but they are excellent at it now and keep us rat free. They very politely leave the dead rodents outside the back door - never brought them in, but helpfully we don't have a cat flap so can monitor things a bit more.

They have caught some enormous buggers- they more than earn their keep!

I live in a Victorian terrace. I have four cats, two of which are young and murderous.

We found mouse droppings under our dishwasher yesterday 😬