Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The litter tray

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

Flip

Original poster

Help, Cat keeps bring mice in the house

12 replies

Skullrain · 28/09/2023 07:39

Hi, please any advice would be greatly appreciate. My cat is 1.5 yrs old, always been very playful. As time has gone on she is increasingly bringing more things into the house. Sometimes small birds but recently it is mainly mice. Most of the time they are already dead by the time I find them, but one occasion recently I did find a live mouse in the lounge!
She already wears a bell but this does not seem to make any difference. Not only is it unpleasant but I am worried about the potential health hazard of her bringing these animals in the house?
Is there anything else I can to do to stop it? We have a cat clap and she comes and goes as she pleases, including at night. I have tried locking her in a night but even with cat flap locked she still manages to break out of it. Of course when I find anything I immediately clean it up but I am getting concerned, assuming these mice have potential to be carrying diseases etc.
Does anyone has any other suggestions on how to stop them being brought in the house?

OP posts:

Beamur · 28/09/2023 07:43

Try keeping her in overnight. You might need a different cat flap if she can break out. More protein in her diet and play with her more.
She's absolutely prime hunting age though, so the instinct will be strong.
I've had many years of cats bringing in mice, birds, shrews, voles, moles and rabbits and have yet to catch any diseases. It's not nice but it's not a major biohazard.

Increasinglyfrazzledteacher · 28/09/2023 07:52

It’s what cats do, it’s what they were first domesticated to do. She’s controlling the local rodent population and that may be no bad thing. The only possible solution is to keep her in at night but that will probably stress both you and her. The habit will decline as she gets older and lazier.

SallyWD · 28/09/2023 07:52

They do most of their hunting at dusk/dawn and night time so you could try keeping her in during those times and only letting her out in the day. Apart from that there's not much you can do. We've had years of my cat bringing mice in. I dislike it because I feel so sorry for the mice (especially when they're badly injured) and because it disturbs my sleep. He's always so proud of himself he wakes us up to show us what he's caught!
In terms of hygiene etc I really don't think it's a big deal. We've never had any health problems because of the mice. It's the occasional mouse in the house for a limited period, not dozens of mice living in the house.

buckingmad · 28/09/2023 07:54

I’m not sure what you expected when you got a cat? Ours brings in all sorts, it’s annoying but it’s their instinct. If I hated it that much I’d not have a cat.

Original poster

Skullrain · 28/09/2023 08:03

Thanks for the replies and reassurance. I am obviously aware cats hunt, I have had a few cats over my lifetime, including childhood, but not experienced one who continuously brought things in the house like this.
I can attempt to keep her in at night again but if this ends up distressing her then I will not stop her from going out.

OP posts:

tintinandhisdogsnowy · 28/09/2023 08:36

I have a 12 year old Tom cat who still brings me a present most nights. It's a complete pain when they're still alive and running round the kitchen.
Not a lot you can do about it. If I kept him in he'd howl all night.

mondaytosunday · 28/09/2023 08:41

I put a bell on my cats collars and they also have a tag so they jingle wherever they go. Only had one mouse (dead thank goodness) and they are both two years old.

Quisquam · 28/09/2023 08:50

Yes, one of my DCats is an avid hunter of mice! He brings them into the house to play with them, then when he’s bored, he lets them go! They live for a few weeks until DSisCat catches them; but she has no interest in playing with them - they end up dead.

I used to have a smart cat flap, which I programmed to lock from 8.30 pm to 8.30 am, although that only benefited the bird population! Mouse hunting seems to go on all day!

We keep all food in containers or in the fridge/freezer. I would never leave food out on a work top at night. We have never caught anything off the odd mouse.

margotrose · 28/09/2023 11:37

Either shut her in or shut her out so she has to ask to come indoors.

Blowyourowntrumpet · 28/09/2023 11:48

Mine brought a rat into the house recently. Luckily it was dead 🐀

mrsjackrussell · 28/09/2023 12:20

You can get a high tech cat flap that identifies when your cat has a victim. I can't remember what it was called but quite expensive.

Missp42 · 18/06/2024 05:48

Hello, I'm a year late um desperate cat owner too who has a black cat who is an absolute prolific hunter it's really stressful...when people say as on here u didn't know what you were expecting a cat .Nobody gets a manual with cat telling you what they are like do they ??? ..
I got mine from a shelter , he brought 6 mice yesterday 6 !!! One after the other we also have a cat flap ...
We both work full time and are out of the house for long periods ..
We are both considering keeping him in whilst we are at work ..I don't want upset my cat but I to dont like coming home seeing them on the carpet. He brought one in alive other day , I had a complete meltdown...
I worry about disease too for him and for me ...
I'm at my wits end

Did you ever find a solution?
I've ordered the new onlycat cat flap ...
Which I'm hoping will ease things
I can kind of cope with finding them in tbe garden

Flip