What kind of cat is a "good mouser"

[Davaroo]

Cats, repellents, and many traps - the Deadly Trinity for mice.

One single method is rarely effective enough. Youre waging a campaign here against a numerically superior enemy.

 

[fivebigreds]

Quote:
What , you don't have a Cheshire cat?

 

[Nan5634]

We have "Mutt" cats and they kill EVERYTHING! Never seen a mouse or anything in our yard unless it's dead or the cats are playing with it. Our cats never bother our chickens though. Only mice, moles and such.

 

[Skyesrocket]

I have American Bobtails. And the females especially are excellent mousers. They even catch mice and bring them back to their litter to teach the kittens to mouse while they are young. I'm not real happy about momma bringing mice into the house for her babies to practice on, but she has never let any get away from them alive.
American Bobtails are a naturally occuring bred. For whatever reason they just started showing up without tails from time to time, mainly on farms. Now, they are a registered breed and can be very expensive.
I got my first two many years ago from an old poultry farmer. I just can't say enough about them. They act more like dogs than cats. And the males take excellent care of the kittens when mom is out hunting. I have even had males lose the hair around their teats from nursing the babies while mom was away. And these are big males.
Anyway, I love mine. I hope that with the breed now being registered and valuable that the brains and instinct doesn't get bred out of them in favor of good looks.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

My best suggestion would be to find a horse ranch/stable/barn or farm that has kittens. If you live in a rural or semi-rural area they usually have few breeding cats around. IMO these kittens are usually very good mousers because their Moms were mousers. If you lived closer I'd hook you up with a god kitten from my next door neighbor-- a horse boarding/training place.

I'd also just check in the Little Nickel for ads.

 

[Chicken_Lover4567]

My cat is a "mutt" so I wouldn't really know. She was a stray who showed up at our door, starving and hungry so I'm not totally sure. I've heard alot of good comments about those Maine Coon Cats though. I agree with the smart people here. Go Maine Coon Cats!!!!!

 

[orcasislandchickens]

As long as this thrad has been revived I'll add my own two- cents. I used to board horses (think grain, feilds, mice and rats). Having a good mouser or two or three was vital. Instinct only plays a part, the mother cat also shows the kittens how to hunt.

Getting an older kitten out of a barn setting from a mom who is known for her abilities will get you one that has been shown the ropes.

 

[chickygirl2]

When we moved to this house, I found an ad in a horse magazine looking for homes for barn cats. We had 4 fully vetted, free of charge, delivered and set up in a huge cage for a couple weeks until they got used to the new home. They catch it all here and drop the dead animals by their food bowls........ lol.......

 

[Judymae]

I've never had an issue with a cat not catching mice. My only problem is that they want to leave the headless bodies in my bathtub....

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I agree with all of those people who said a feral cat or barn cat who has lived on a farm should give you the best results. YES, YES, YES spay or neuter and make sure you, at the very least, give rabies shots.

A feral cat would be good too. Just remember to get it spayed/neutered, rabies shot, and distemper shot.And just because you want the cat to hunt, doesnt mean that you dont have to feed it.​