Cat bringing in rats! Help!

captainprincess

Not very helpful but that is what cats do I'm afraid!
My cats went through a phase of bringing something in each everyday! Luckily it was the summer so I would shut them out in the day and they would come in early evening and be shut in all night. It's pretty quiet on the wildlife front at the moment but I'm once thr summer comes things will change!!

shelly

Can your cat be contained to one room once in the window? If not I'd put a tray down at nights and keep the cat in.


Most mornings we find what Lily has caught during the night, sometimes just little left over bits, sometimes the whole thing.
A couple of weeks ago we had a smell develop in the utility room (this is the only room Lily can access 24/7) We knew it wasn't the cat food as that's always been left down....it was more like a stagnant water smell. Hubby thought he would pull out the washing machine to see if it had a leak that we couldn't see and underneath the machine was a dead mouse! :eek:

She had obviously brought it in while alive and it had got away from her.....I am just so glad that we put a brush type draught excluder along the bottom of the door that seperates the utility room from the kitchen.....don't fancy chasing a mouse round the house :rotfl:

Mankysteve

shelly wrote: »

She had obviously brought it in while alive and it had got away from her.....I am just so glad that we put a brush type draught excluder along the bottom of the door that seperates the utility room from the kitchen.....don't fancy chasing a mouse round the house :rotfl:

Done that many a time due our tabby being semi feral and brings in lots of small things. had to rip up the carpet in my bedroom after coming back from holiday and finding the remains of two have eaten decomposing birds on my bedroom floor. We now only have carpet on the upstairs the landing and stairs.

WASHER

One of my two cats often brings things home, dead or alive. I used to leave the back door open during the day (I am in) and let them go as they pleased, however I got sick of the dead mice and birds I found in the lounge, so now the door is closed behind them and I can hear them meowing if they want in, they generally leave the gifts on the back step now.

rita-rabbit

Cats using the magnetic catflap can bring in `gifts' with them - sometimes 100% live. Mine did until he realised that I didn't like/want the gifts & so eats his live catch outdoors (or has got too old to catch - as long as I don't see him torturing them to death I don't know/care).

shomk

Thanks everyone - I think we have spoilt our cat from day one and its now time for a change!

Unfortunately the window he comes through is into the kitchen so Im still not happy about things being left in there as pleanty of places for live things to hide - normally he brings things dead and leaves them in exactly the same place in the hallway! BUt we could start by closing the kitchen door at night and perhaps introduce staying in at night eventually.

Does anyone use a cat cabin?? or have any opinions on these?

Debt_Free_Chick

I think you would have to be very unlucky to have something survive, if he did bring it in alive. It's going to be physically damaged and severely traumatised and therefore likely to die soon after - as you saw with the rat.

Personally, I'd be delighted to have a cat out & about "dealing with vermin" as it ought to keep the numbers down. Having a local rat colony is likely to be far more damaging than one which is periodically culled by the cat.

foreign_correspondent

just a thought - are you sure the cat bought the rat in as opposed to nabbing one who already had access to your home?

Personally, I would treat a cat who can keep vermin at bay as a great assett, they do say you are never more than six feet away from a rat! Do make sure he is up to date with vaccinations though, incase he gets bitten by one.

When I was living in a mouse infested block of flats a few years ago, I would have loved to borrow your little pest controller!

Lotus-eater

I'd also be delighted if my cat caught a rat a night!

Just how many rats in total has he caught? Alot and you are talking a serious infestation.
Certainly tell the neighbours and close the window! Police what he brings in through the back door.

kazwookie

Deal with the rat problem first...............then the cat bringing in rats will cease. simples!!