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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

would a cat really help to get rid of MICE

32 replies

mummag · 01/10/2008 10:58

hi we have a mouse, for the second time now. Have three young kids and i am very fed up bout it being in my house. Hunted it the other night but didnt catch it (god knows what i would have done with it). question is would a cat solve this problem as i really hate putting poison down....any ideas wise women of mumsnet.

OP posts:

Original poster

mummag · 01/10/2008 10:59

meant any wise words women of mumsnet....sorry

OP posts:

AMumInScotland · 01/10/2008 11:04

When my parents had a mouse long ago in their cellar, they borrowed a cat and put it down there overnight. The mouse seemed to get the message and wasn't seen again - I don't think the cat actually killed it, but the smell made it think this wasn't a suitable place to set up home.

notwavingjustironing · 01/10/2008 11:05

ask Fabio. He seems to have an opinion on most things!

shivermetimbers · 01/10/2008 11:07

I have a mouse too, brought in by the blasted cat. so i would go with no.

sagacious · 01/10/2008 11:07

My very daft cat brings IN field mice through the cat flap (alive I've seen her do it, and then chases them round the house)

NT cats tend to kill them by breaking their necks, mine gently picks them up in a way a mother cat would carry her kittens.

So thats a no from me.

(Have invested in humane traps)

nailpolish · 01/10/2008 11:07

wehad mice too and got a cat
she has never caught any but we certainly havent seen the mice again
actually i think she caught one once outsdie

Original poster

mummag · 01/10/2008 11:14

who is fabio?? bit confused by that. When you catch one in a humane trap what next?

OP posts:

blossomsmine · 01/10/2008 14:03

You need a couple of rat/mice chasing dogs like i have got!!!! Mine keep any living creature out of the garden, cats/birds anything they don't stand a chance in our garden!! My neighbour is over run with mice at the moment, a real problem, we haven't seen hide nor hair of one and we aren't likely too either with my mad dogs!!

Ecmo · 01/10/2008 14:09

We have 3 cats. They all catch mice. One of them doesnt kill them usually but brings them in and drops them (birds too) which then involves lots of humane traps and sticks and torches. However the year we only had a very elderly cat we were overrun with mice and were catching approx 4 a day!
So yes, and if you're not really a cuddly cat person the rescue homes usually have feral or semi feral cats that will happily live outside and just catch your mice for you!

MoreTeaAnyone · 01/10/2008 14:10

my cat even gets rid of dogs!!!

southeastastra · 01/10/2008 14:11

the cat next door runs away from mice, get a humane trap

LynetteScavo · 01/10/2008 14:11

one of my cats can wipe out a fmily of mice quite quickly - leaves them dead on the patio usually.

The other cat (female) brings them in as though they were her babies.

mehgalegs · 01/10/2008 14:15

Our cat is being driven insane by mice under the kitchen floorboards, she can see hear and smell them but she can't get them.

They have loud boozey parties, eating all the pasta and weetabix that DS4 drops down the cracks under his chair, and make rude gestures at poor Mishka Lamoo. Eventually they get so pissed that they start daring each other to leg it across the kitchen and under the fridge.

Chocolateteapot · 01/10/2008 14:17

We have never had so many mice in the house since getting our cats. I think we've had two live ones this week. DH is now currently an expert mouse catcher, which I don't think was what he had in mind when we got the cats.

nannyL · 01/10/2008 20:28

i had some mice in my shed

next door neighbours moved in with 3 cats and no mice have been since (except deposited dead on their kitchen floor )

LazyLinePainterJane · 01/10/2008 20:35

My cat catches them and tortures them until there is half a mouse left on the floor, with intestines straggling behind. He is too superior to eat them.

monkeymonkeymonkey · 01/10/2008 20:36

I had mice until I got a cat. Havent seen any sign of them since I got the cat. Now I have 3 cats I think it would have to be a very stupid mouse to come into my house.

wakesandquakes · 01/10/2008 22:17

I think it depends upon the cat and seeing as they don't advertise as to whether they are hunters and annialators (sp?) of all wildlife or alternatively complete softees who like to bring wildlife home to play with, it's hard. We had one of each. One who killed and ate anything moving (outside) and one which sleeps a lot, but on occassions, for a bit of sport, bring a little rodent friend inside and 'loses' it. I'm not impressed with this and the amount of 'deep cleaning' I have to do after such events and am now armed ruthlessly with brutal but effective mouse traps (sultanas work well in our house).

SparkyFartDust · 01/10/2008 22:24

our cats are crap.

we put them in the kitchen to sort out mice problem some we had some months back and they scratched on door all night to be let out/ peed on my handbag and generally were pathetic.

In the end we bought a 'plug in device' that supposedly emits a high pitched frequency that only mice can hear...i Know sounds like bollocks and when DP bought it I was very but since we have had it..no mice!

Whizzz · 01/10/2008 22:25

Last weekend we caught 3 mice (humane traps) brought in my our dear but slightly mad cat. Think she invited them round for a cat food buffet from her bowl !! We never had mice...till we got our cat!

frasersmummy · 01/10/2008 22:26

when you catch the little blighter in a humane trap you have to take it on a journey away from the house and release it. I think its at least a mile they say so they dont come back

I am petrified of them.. so I used to go to bed..let hubby set the traps and then wouldnt come downstairs till he had picked up the traps.. full or empty and taken them to his car so I didnt need to deal with them at all

ooh and if you are going to trap them.. chocolate is their favourite

SparkyFartDust · 01/10/2008 22:26

should add the high pitched noise is meant to drive mice mad and sends them packing from wherever they maybe in house.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 01/10/2008 22:28

one of my cats chases and kills mice, unfortunately he also chases cats of the opposite sex and could show houdini a trick or two and i cannot catch him long enough to get him to the vets for the snip.

my other cat would have trouble chasing his tail and is renouned for being dim and lazy.

Mumi · 01/10/2008 23:16

Got mice
Got humane trap
Caught nothing in a month
Next door moves in with 5 cats
Mice AWOL

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 02/10/2008 14:22

My old cat never had a catflap, we never had mice inside or outside. She did, however, bring home a newt minus half a tail and on another occasion a gasping goldfish from our neighbours pond.

Got a westie now that loves to tell me when I have a hedgehog in the garden and when birds are flying overhead, still no sign of mice.

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