Cat has a mouse

[AdelindSchade]

I've locked him outside with it but he's pawing at the cat flap. I can see the poor thing is alive. Would you take it off him/put it out of it's misery or just let him get on with it?

It might still be alive and able to run off, distract cat with some food and it might drop the mouse, outside is better if you can, you will never catch it once its indoors

Yes - let the mouse go (by removing the cat from the situation). They often look a bit shell shocked, but usually regain compusure and scurry off.

It's never just one mouse though. This is just the start!

When mine did it I went to rescue the mouse and by the time I had got a fishing net to put over it to stop cat tormenting it, the guts were showing. But at least I stopped her making a mess everywhere.

This was her withher prey.

It won't run off and survive cats have loads of bacteria in their mouths and one bite means the mouse is effectually dead. If you don't want to let the cat eat it - mine do, its natural, remove the cat and despatch the mouse.

Mine brought one into the house last night and then let go. It’s hiding behind the shoe cupboard in the hall. I know this as the other cat has been watching the gap constantly since last night - She camped out on the doormat overnight to keep an eye on it! Unfortunately that means the mouse now won’t come out so the humane trap I just bought from Amazon is now sitting empty and the mouse is still hiding. Worst part is I run a baking business from home. Need to get the little blighter out ASAP!

I had a family of mice move in to my conservatory (outside the old back door, so not part of the house really more a lean to). Let the cats in there as traps were being ignored by the mice.

They would catch the mice, bring them into the main part of the house & play with them until they were dead. However there was never a mark on the mice, and as soon as they were dead the cats ignored them so I would have to dispose of the slightly soggy but luckily intact remains.

I'm not sure that's universally true @mathswall.

Our cat often brings mice in, but then gets bored and forgets about them. It can be several days before we find them (they run pretty fast and can easily escape us), but when we do get them they are often still very sprightly and very much alive. Cats don't always make puncrure wounds when they catch mice - ours frequently brings a mouse in and drops it straight away and there are no wounds at all. My DH is very good at catching them whilst they're still a bit shocked, then we let them 'come to' and set them free.

My cat eats them if you don't stop him in time! I tend to leave him to it.

My cat has a very “soft” mouth - if her were canine he would make an excellent gun dog. 95% of the creatures he brings in are alive, not a mark/puncture wound on them. So I don’t write anything off as being infected/set to die a slow death.

If a bird is brought in, I shut cat out of whichever room and then open the windows as wide as possible - they eventually find their way out.

If it’s a mouse/shrew etc, then I have a dedicated “mouse mug”. I grab this and quickly pop it over the mouse. Gently slide kitchen roll under the lip of the mug. Tip it upright with kitchen roll forming a barrier so mouse can’t climb out. Open front door and release mouse in front garden where cat doesn’t have access.

As an aside, most annoying thing re my cat is that the only thing he never goes for is spiders! Don’t bring me mice, just ge5 rid of the arachnids!

I leave my cat to it.

Cats are natural hunters. It may seem cruel but its what they do.