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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

non predatory cat

29 replies

SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 21:21

we are very much a Dog Household...

(please don't flame me Grin)

...but, having visited many houses with cats recently, the dds are desperate for a cat. Now, I like other people's cats, but the killy thing bothers me. I find the sort of sporting aspect upsetting- also I am very very squeamish and could not bear to pick up some of the things friends have gleefully told me about- sicked up mouse, half dead baby rat, three legged frog- you get the picture

I know some folk keep cats indoors, but I couldn't bear to do that. I asked one friend about bells (no-one I know seems to bell their cats)- she told me that her crafty cats rolled theirs about in the mud, thus losing their ring (I was quite Shock about this, as my dogs would never work that out Grin)

can anyone advise a squeamish rookie cat owner, please?

(sorry if I don't reply- having Naughty Children Ishoos upstairs at the mo)

OP posts:
CarGirl · 30/12/2010 21:22

Pedigrees tend to be quite thick, persians in particular don't seem to wander far........

Joolyjoolyjoo · 30/12/2010 21:23

well, they don't all bring stuff in- I had 3 cats at one point, and none of their conquests ever made it into the house (though found a couple of beheaded carcases in the garden) Maybe my cats just didn't love me enough...

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 21:23

ooh, I like those

OP posts:
CarGirl · 30/12/2010 21:24

My other advice is rehome an older cat, IME only the young ones are interested in hunting.

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 21:24

at beheaded carcasses

Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 21:25

oh that's interesting, CarGirl. There's plenty round here need rehoming

...dogs may be a problem, though, for an older cat?

OP posts:
CarGirl · 30/12/2010 21:25

You can rehome from pedigree cat clubs very cheaply usually a £50 donation and they are neutered and up to date with injections etc.

MILs persians never made it out of the (tiny) garden and she's about 5 I think.......

beautifulgirls · 30/12/2010 22:50

Speak to your local cats protection - they should be able to advise of suitable cats available in your area.

sharbie · 30/12/2010 22:53

get a cat that is used to dogs already obv otherwise you will have problems

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 30/12/2010 22:53

My cats don't bring anything back to me, but my dog-and-cat owning friend assures me that dogs are very handy when it comes to clearing up "remnants" such as mouse guts, decapitated frogs and so on.

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 22:58
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OldLadyKnowsNothing · 30/12/2010 23:07

Saves you doing it, though. Grin

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 30/12/2010 23:17

not with my dogs, Old Lady

they are blessed with greedy and undiscerning appetites

but delicate constitutions

OP posts:
MillyMollyMardy · 30/12/2010 23:25

We have a cat with no sense of smell. She misses a bit of food dropped right in front of her. She is also a very bad hunter; the birds will peck at food with her watching.
Sadly though she does occasionally get mice and voles (which were probably on their last legs and staggered out of the log pile to cork it) so I don't think you can guarantee no corpses.
Just don't get a cat flap then you can control what makes it into the houseGrin

KangarooCaught · 30/12/2010 23:36

The animal sanctuary man said he had a couple of non-predatory cats in mind when I enquired if you could request a comfy-cat-too-lazy-to-hunt trait... because theirs are fostered and assessed. Wondered if I could get him to sign a contract to come and sort out entrails and other body parts, just in case he's been duped by two cats on best behaviour. I like dogs and cats (so do the dcs) but I am bird phobic and am really not fond of rodents (even dcs Kung Zhu hamsters make me shudder!) but dh not keen, he's given in to having another child instead Wink

But in theory I think possible, especially if the cat/s not a real youngster.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 31/12/2010 00:02

SpringHeeledJack, ah, I see. Sympathies.

MadamDeathstare · 31/12/2010 03:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarGirl · 31/12/2010 07:26

Deathstare that cat is hilarious!!!!

IME in most mixed dog/cat households the cat quickly establishes itself as the boss. I take it that your dogs although miffed would not chase/hunt a cat?

We've only ever rehomed adult cats and they've always given us a fairly accurate picture of their personalities. It's only our current boy who is a profilic hunter something of an achievement as we live in concrete city! We probably get one gift per month but if he's shut out the house he'll eat it

I am currently at war with mine as they seem to think it's okay to do their utmost to wake me up between 5 & 6am to feed them and let them out Shock I've been awake since 5.45am and they are most disgusted that they are still waiting.....I'm playing the long game so they stop getting up so early Hmm

Teds77 · 31/12/2010 13:18

Depending on where you live the cats may have less to hunt. I grew up on the edge of a village with a back garden that backed on to woods. Result was healthy supply of mice, voles, birds etc from family cat.

Now live in a city and despite big garden, plenty of bird song etc. our two cats have only managed to bring two mice inside in three years.

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 31/12/2010 16:39

thanks so much all- you've given us a lot to chew over

I have been off googling persians but it soon descended into "aaawwwwww, look at 'is wittle faaaaace" so I shall come back to it in the New Year- preferably when I'm on my own and can make as many stupid noises as I like

Smile
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CarGirl · 31/12/2010 17:35

MILs youngest persian has such stumpy legs it took him 18 months to work out if he used the kitchen bin he could get up onto the worktop (where she was feeding her underweight kitten) - not only immobile but fairly thick. He has to jump to get in through the cat flap, it is hysterical!

her other cats are main coones - you do not want one of them!

Original poster
SpringHeeledJack · 31/12/2010 18:16

one of my aunties had a persian called Jingles- he was like a great mobile cushion and spent most of his time lying on the lawn. And as for catching anything?- he absolutely Could Not Be Arsed

Smile

now that is exactly the sort of cat I would like...

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CarGirl · 31/12/2010 18:22

The only thing her magnificent cream persian ever got was some baby birds when they fell out of the nest in their back garden. Seriously I don't think he ever left the front or the back garden in 15 years!

DH says they did have 1 persian (MIL bred and showed them for a number of years) that left the garden (no idea how many they had in total) but that was the psychotic one that eventually had to be pts as it started attacking everyone Hmm

In fact of their persians just sort of sit there and eventually move for a bit of food and the like.

"Stumpy" is so greedy he's like a barrel with a little leg on each corner! He is very sweet and I have a huge soft spot for him.

MadamDeathstare · 31/12/2010 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lizcat · 01/01/2011 18:47

Don't believe the pedigree one beautiful moggy girl finds the killing thing distasteful. Arrogant posh boy lives to kill he would do it all day every day if he could dead rats, dead birds, decapitations in the kitchen. He is a british short hair who are notoriously thick - not him he got several generations of brain cells. Also he only has access to five gardens I am amazed at how much he can catch in this urban space.
A rescue cat that had a history of being lazy would be my choice.