I want to rescue a cat but I don’t want it bringing in viditors

[Pichee]

Would love to rescue an elderly cat. But I could not handle them bringing home gifts. Is that just a no go then?

My dog is good with cats (friends with my sister’s). Wouldn’t want to deprive an outdoor cat and not many seem to be indoor.

Do elderly cats bring visitors? Could you ask for a lazy one.

No clue! Never had a cat!

Elderly cats are far less likely to bring in visitors.

Ours are less than two. You'd hate it here @Pichee but you do get used to it. Dustpan, kitchen roll, straight into the garden waste bin.

Older cats tend not to catch as much as they're not as quick, but some are still quite able! If you don't have a catflap then you can avoid them bringing stuff into the house, but they might still leave it on the doorstep. Lots of charities have cats with FIV who have to stay indoors so you could look into that? But you can't really 100% avoid any gifts ever with an outdoor cat. My two aren't old (8 and 5) but they're pretty useless predators. We've had a couple of mice over the years and in the summer they bring those giant moths in, but other than that they rarely seem to catch anything at all.

Just don’t have a cat flap. If the only way in is having a human open the door you can usually stop them bringing any little friends in. They’ll get left on the doorstep for you instead.

I’m not fussed about an exact age. Elderly animals tug at my heart

Be careful- my 12 year old tortie is heading for an ASBO
She can catch frogs , mice , bats , moths
And once brought me a sock

She kills nothing but really wants me to see all her loot , which I release with as little trauma as possible 🫣

I have an elderly cat and he basically sleeps and cuddles all day.

He only really comes in the garden now if I'm out there to shoo off the young cats on the block.

He actually had a bird land right next to him a few weeks ago, opened one eye, stretched then went back to sleep.

Love the little dude🐈‍⬛

My elderly girl caught her first ever bird a couple of years ago, after years of being an indoor cat. She was as surprised as I was and didn't know what to do! Bird was unharmed and flew away.

You might get lucky. My 6-year-old cat has never caught a single thing. She is gorgeous and bad tempered but luckily quite stupid. We've never had an "offering" to deal with.

I have had my cat 15 years only ever brings in leaves and leaflets.

I've had two cats (both soft as butter black males) and neither have hunted
Current one spends most of his time like this demanding belly rubs

Adopt an indoor cat. There are quite a lot that have never been allowed out and therefore don't want to. Not all cats are killers like mine.

Just have an indoor cat!

Arthur is locked in the kitchen every night as he does bring in mice. It's not too bad, just kitchen roll and a squirt of dettol needed. Is it that you can't handle live ones?? That can be challenging if you are afraid of mice!! I just catch them with my hands.

We rescued a cat expressly to solve a mouse problem. Which she did on the first night. But then went on to bring them in / live!! I am so phobic, it was awful. However she is a young cat and the shelter had a good idea of what she’d be like. I bet they’d also know re yours. Some cats don’t flinch as prey scurries past 🥴🤢

Keep them inside? Much safer for the cat anyway.

I have a 17 year old cat, who has no interest in going any further than a sunny spot in the back garden, and has never caught anything in her life.
I have another 6 year old who catches anything that moves, and quite a bit that doesn't. He tells me he has no intention of retiring ever.
If you get a rescue cat they'll likely know their temperament, and you should be able to find one that isn't a keen hunter. It is part and parcel of having a cat though, so if its a hard no for you then a cat wouldn't be a good idea.

My cats are 12 and still hunt (I think it’s only one of them that actually catches things though, the other one is too stupid). It’s usually mice but we’ve also had birds, frogs and a slow worm. He does kill the mice though, and usually eats the entire thing apart from some tiny entrails.

You may find that a non rescue is less likely to hunt. For example a cat bred in captivity with a loved mother.

My two rescues were abandoned/lost. Their mother's were feral and therefore hunting is in the blood of my girls. They eat it too - nothing like finding a nose or tail or scraps of entrails in a pool of blood. That is a bit boakworthy.

The alternative for my two however is that had they not been rescued, they'd be dead.

Adopting an elderly cat is a fab thing to do. I got mine at 7 and he's 15 now.

My old man only hunts in the summer and hunts specifically for food that unsuspecting neighbours may be eating or cooking outside. I've had steak, sausages, chicken, veggies, kebabs and a very rubbery mushroom omelette (which made it all the way home, through the cat flap and upstairs in one piece) all brought home since I adopted him.

Do it, you'll never regret it.

There is cat flap in development with a prey detection camera that won't open if the are carrying anything it is £££££££ but could be worth looking into.

I volunteer at a rescue, we get quite a few elderly cats in where the owner has died or gone into care, we also have indoor cats that have FIV. We also have a number that are very overweight and wouldn’t stand a chance of catching anything.

there will be a match there for you if you get in touch with a large rescue. My hunter cat eventually gave it up after she had dental work and her teeth removed.

Ex strays who have had to hunt for food and now have food and warmth handed to them by their humans are less likely to hunt for fun.