What kind of cat is a "good mouser"

[DuckyBoys]

Wow - great posts everyone!

We have a weiner dog who will chase the mice - but he's never actually caught one. OTOH - his father used to kill the rats we fed to the reptiles. Go figure.

I'm gonna look for some free/cheap kittens on craig's list and check out the mail house bulliten board to see if anyone has any around us that need homes.

I don't really want a barn cat because of all my birds, I really just one some that will stay in the house and in the front yard, which is like 1/2 acre. Or at least wander and come home. But my dogs might not like them hanging around in their territory in back.

 

[lengel]

Whatever you do, spay or neuter the cat. If he/she finds a mate, you will have hundreds of cats within a couple of years. I do not believe that spaying or neutering makes any difference in hunting ability or drive and you might find yourself with a real problem on your hands if you don't.

 

[Judymae]

Spaying and neutering is a great idea. We have an old tom cat that gets into fights constantly and really gets hurt badly. I'm gonna catch him as soon as I can and have him neutered!!

Not only does it cut down on too many kittens it also helps with health issues. Usually you can find a spay neuter clinic in your area that will do it very cheaply. Look around or call the closet animal control~they should know.

 

[AngelzFyre]

I've got 6 cats and the females kill most of the furry pests such as chipmunks and mice, moles/voles. The male I have kills the poor lizards and the birds if he can get them. The females seem to be more in hunter mode than he does...I think he just does it because they are there. He kills stuff and leaves it...the girls eat most of their kills but always are so nice to bring the pieces parts to leave on the mat where you can see/STEP ON them when you're in a hurry to get out in the morning! LOL
Usually only the back legs and those innards.
I spay/neuter evvvvvverything that comes on our property and I can catch to take in to the vet. We get a lot of "drop offs" since we are in a rural area.

They all kill, just some better than others.

 

[Davaroo]

What kind of cat is a "good mouser"

Females, invariably.

And buy plenty of traps to go with the cat food. You must wage a campaign, not toss a cat in alone.​

 

[Rosalind]

Go to the local rescue--most rescues work with the kitties enough to know which will make good mousers and which are lazy buggers. Nearly all have some feral cats that were trapped from nuisance colonies, and those will likely be already neutered and up to date on shots for you. You get a kitten or a "free to good home", and you're taking your chances on mousing skills, health issues, etc. A good rescue will have all their animals vet-checked, up to date on shots, neutered and some temperament testing done.

It's not true about them needing to be hungry to mouse well. My best mouser is a tubby Russian Blue mix mutt who eats like a fluffy blue-and-white piglet whenever she hears a can open. The feral lady cat we got from the local rescue, which has no less than 26 claws total (2 extra on each front paw, 1 extra on each back paw), is only about half as good. And my Maine Coon mixes have never been able to catch a single mouse, ever. They're great cats, especially if you're not a cat person; personality-wise they are more like dogs, that sort of needy affection, except less work than a dog. So they tend to win Dog People over to the Dark Side of Cat People. But not good mousers in my experience.

 

[birdnutz]

I really need help with mouse control also. Been thinking about outside cats,but worried about them killing baby chicks and ducklings. Will this be a problem?

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

i thought i might have a problem with my cats and the chicks,but i didnt. i kept them apart until the chicks where bigger but the cats have never bothered them. i have three mixed breed spayed female cats. they kill everything including rabbits!

 

[vicki2x2]

Quote:
I disagree, cats hunt because they love it. I keep my cats well fed and they still hunt like crazy. The nice thing about them eating cat food is they don't barf up half eaten mice and stuff all over! YUCK! They also stay healthier on a balanced diet.

 

[fivebigreds]

The kind you don't feed will kill more mice.