Cat bringing in rats! Help!

Lil_Me_2

We don't have a cat flap so my two rely on us letting them out to do their business. We do have a litter tray, but neither of them have used it for months! In this cold wet weather they only really get to go out for a few hours once we're home from work so they can hold it for a while!

Doesn't stop them hunting, but does stop them coming in the house with their gifts! They had a magpie last week!

jess1974

Awww what a clever cat you have, i have a longhaired 9 year old female cat, who seems to have lost all ability and will to hunt, despite the fact our garden backs onto open farmland and fields.
All she wants to do is be cuddled and stroked and sleep on the childrens beds, i would be delighted aswell if she could hunt and keep the mouse population at bay....

shomk

well he does have a great character. he plays, cuddles and hes often out 'waiting' for us to come home! I am quite attached. I know its in his nature - hes quite funny to watch with a fly in the garden!. And he is definately bringing them in instead of them being in the house already as he always leaves everything in the same place. I feel bad about the birds and horrified about the mice and rats so I think its going to be up to us to police what he is bringing in and keep him in at night.

UKTigerlily

Remember if you all have hunters to keep them wormed & flea treated (FC no Cat vaccinations will stop anything from rat bites sadly lol) i'm lucky mine seems to have given up hunting now!

~Chameleon~

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Remember if you all have hunters to keep them wormed & flea treated (FC no Cat vaccinations will stop anything from rat bites sadly lol) i'm lucky mine seems to have given up hunting now!

The only thing you can catch from a rat bite (other than rabies of cause which fortunately isn't prevalent in the UK) is Rat Bite Fever. This is caused by one of two bacterial strains and is usually successfully treated with antibiotics.

LipstickPink

Try a collar with a bell? May make it harder for him to catch anything albeit a little cruel! This will do nothing for his street cred

paddy's_mum

I'm really surprised that a normal domestic cat is willing and able to catch adult rats. In my experience, it's a rare cat that will tackle one head on.

In your place, I'd be having a word with all the neighbours as well as your local council's pest control department to try to find out if rat poison has been placed nearby.

Over a lifetime of pet and farm cat keeping, the only rats mine ever caught were already sick and pretty much defenceless from taking the poison.

Whatever the cause or circumstances, I hope you get it sorted. I'm phobic about the £$%&* things and don't envy you these 'gifts' one jot!

~Chameleon~

paddy's_mum wrote: »

I'm really surprised that a normal domestic cat is willing and able to catch adult rats. In my experience, it's a rare cat that will tackle one head on.

If you think a rat is ambitious, I know of and have previously owned cats who thought nothing of catching rabbits!! Mostly young ones and babies mind, but even so! :rotfl:

beks

My cat is also a regular rat catcher!!! she brings them in alive or dead (killed by her I presume), she is not fussy and they all get brought home. I hate the things and the last time she brought one in was very much alive and kicking and I trapped it in a corner with a broom handle to encourage it into a box. It attacked the broom in its terror!! She also got bitten by one once too (we presumed it was a rat bite as we had a dead rat brought in the day before she went off her food. The vet seemed to think it was too). She had antibiotics and it cleared up with no long lasting effects. Didnt put her off either unfortunately.

We live near a stables and farm so have no way of eliminating the rat population. The magnetic cat flap does not stop her bringing it in and her bell doesn't work so I have just got used to it. Come to think of it, she hasnt brought anything in for a few months now, lets hope she has grown out of it (she is four now!) . The ones she has caught whilst we are out are always dead when we get home (I hope anyway, I am presuming that we don't have a house plagued by rats:eek:!!!) Uggghhh!!!

foreign_correspondent

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Remember if you all have hunters to keep them wormed & flea treated (FC no Cat vaccinations will stop anything from rat bites sadly lol)

ah - I assumed cats needed a lepto shot like dogs do, but I see from a quick google that they are not susceptable to it to the same degree!