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

Original poster

Can I tame a mouser? [edited by MNHQ at OPs request]

31 replies

EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 00:50

My cat, subject of other posts on this point, has brought home yet another live mouse. I've had 3 decapitated ones in the fortnight since we put a collar on her.

She's still prowling a skirting board gap so there may still be another.

The bell hasn't helped much. I'm considering locking her in overnight anyway, are mice nocturnal? Will this help?

I'm aware it's perfectly natural and she used to live only outdoors so I understand, but mice in the house is a deal breaker for DH so if anyone has tips I'll happily try them.

OP posts:
Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 00:51

*mouser 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
VampireBarbie · 26/09/2021 00:58

Clever hunters generally quickly learn to move without the bells sounding!

Dawn and dusk are main hunting times. I've made the decision with my latest rescue that she only goes out between 9 and 5 and it seems to be working 🤞🏼

Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 01:02

Yes she did! She's such an outdoorsy cat I feel mean locking her in. She sleeps all day and hunts all night at the moment. I can't decide if the answer is to build her somewhere outside to stay at night but it's just coming to the worst time of year for that.

OP posts:
Cailleach1 · 26/09/2021 01:17

I'm a little confused nothing new there . Do you mean tame one of the rodents that puddy brings home -tame a mouse? Or, do you mean tame a mouser? i.e. the cat

Cailleach1 · 26/09/2021 01:18

Sorry, see you meant mouser.

Crackford · 26/09/2021 01:37

My cat just killed a mouse in my hall way. I need to find where its coming from

Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 07:40

@Crackford

My cat just killed a mouse in my hall way. I need to find where its coming from
Did the cat bring it in? That's what mine does!
OP posts:
PeonyTime · 26/09/2021 08:00

Yep, curfew to prevent mice. Our record was 5 in one evening, which instigated curfew as the bell clearly wasnt cutting it!

DaxtheDestroyer · 26/09/2021 08:05

My cats are prolific hunters (we are rural and the fields are like a cat buffet). They are shut in at night mainly to avoid piles of guts for us to find first thing in the morning. It definitely cuts the body count slightly (avoiding dawn and dusk as pp said) but they find plenty during the day too.

Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 08:06

Well that makes my cat a poor mouser by comparison @PeonyTime !

OP posts:
ViceLikeBlip · 26/09/2021 08:11

Either shut him in or shut him out overnight. We shut ours out, but we have a few outbuildings they can access. Plenty of farms have feral cats that live outside all year round (but again, they would have access to barns etc)

Mumdiva99 · 26/09/2021 08:14

I only read this because I thought you wanted to make a pet of one of the presents!!

Tlollj · 26/09/2021 08:21

It’s a cat that’s what they do. Hopefully most of them will be dead.

Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 10:11

@Tlollj

It’s a cat that’s what they do. Hopefully most of them will be dead.
We knew as she had been an outdoor cat this might be the case but it's a shock as previous cats were scared of mice! I honestly don't mind the dead ones it's the live ones that she seems to bring in as pets which are the issue!
OP posts:
Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 10:12

May be that's her aim @Mumdiva99 Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
EatSprayGlove · 26/09/2021 10:13

@ViceLikeBlip

Either shut him in or shut him out overnight. We shut ours out, but we have a few outbuildings they can access. Plenty of farms have feral cats that live outside all year round (but again, they would have access to barns etc)
We do have several garages and a basement so outside could work but I do worry it will be cold!
OP posts:
SourMilkGhyll · 26/09/2021 10:21

Cat will be absolutely fine outside if there are some cozy places to snuggle up. A big box full of straw would work well. Just try and position it so it is out of the draughts.

ipswichwitch · 26/09/2021 10:24

We managed to keep our cat in overnight, so she goes out at breakfast, is out all day then tends to come home about tea time. She still manages to catch mice - record was 5 in one day (all during daylight hours) so I don’t want to even think about how many that would be if she was out at night!
If your cat is determined to be out all night - as ours sometimes is -if just make sure there’s a warm sheltered corner for them to use. DH and DS2 built a little cat kennel, with a little window and some old vinyl flooring inside. She uses it as a storm shelter when it’s raining but she doesn’t want to come in.

Crackford · 26/09/2021 10:25

@EatSprayGlove no he did not I have always had a mouse problem. I seal up all the holes I can find . Then it's OK for several months then they find another way in. And I have to find the hole and seal again

Mumdiva99 · 26/09/2021 10:33

She's just showing you love....they are all presents for you!!! I would let her inside but limit the rooms she can access overnight.

Or....have a cat flap with a curfew. Keep her in at night. Although mine bring gifts during the day.....this was yesterday's toy!

Can I tame a mouser? [edited by MNHQ at OPs request]
MydogWillow · 26/09/2021 10:42

I ended up locking our cat out at night. She has access to a shed though. During the day I keep the cat flap switched to Out Only.

If she wants to come in I first check to see if she has any presents. Have had a mouse pushed against the flap window mouthing "help me" Wink before, so she still hunts.

I got fed up of clearing (and treading on) body parts and putting down humane box traps coaxing them with chocolate. The feeling of letting them go free was a good feeling though but cat got mightily miffed.

MydogWillow · 26/09/2021 10:48

Cat used to bring live mice and put them in the bath so they couldn't scrabble out. She would then dispatch them in there. Waking up to a massacre wasn't pleasant but least I could clean and disinfect properly. I suppose her system was quite clever but she left three dismembered bodies one night which was pretty grim.

Cailleach1 · 26/09/2021 21:58

We have the same problem with one of our cats, op. Girlcat is wonderful. If she catches something, she calls you outside to admire her skills. She has never brought anything inside.

Boycat brings live mice inside and drops them on my lovely rug. I have seen him lose interest when a mouse ran under a dresser. I had to engage the skills of girl cat to catch that mouse and she brought it back outside.

We don't have a cat flap and I am not sure if I want to install one now. We used to leave the french doors open during the good weather and they were free to come in and go out. I now close the doors and inspect boycat when I let him back in. They both bang on a metal latch when they want back in (we're well trained). Failing that, Boycat has a pair of lungs on him that would wake the dead if we are upstairs. It is a pain opening and closing doors but I don't want rodents loose around my home. We have a covered outside area with benches and recliners covered with cushions where the cats can wait in comfort. I imagine if you create a comfortable, dry shelter, yours won't be uncomfortable (even In winter). Mine both stay inside a lot in winter anyways and just pop out for a while during the day if it is too cold.

MydogWillow · 27/09/2021 07:08

A cat flap like Sureflap gives flexibility. In but not out, out but not in. Locked. Open.

It operates through your cats microchip so others can't come in. You can programme it for several cats. Wouldn't be without it.

RedSquirrelRoar · 27/09/2021 07:37

I’ve found two bells attached at different points on a (quick release) collar helps a lot more than one bell.
We also shut ours in for the night.

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