My cat's bringing in mice to play with - help!

crackerberry

Thirteen dead mice on my patio one morning was mine's record years ago. Had I a cat flap I'd have woken up to find all thirteen running round the house instead, with the odd dead one next to me on a pillow.

Gloomendoom

We've had mice, rabbits of various sizes and the pièce de r!sistance... a live snake deposited in the middle of the sitting room during a family get together.

Kaz2904

DH woke up- or should I say was woken up! at 6am on Saturday morning (I was at work) by the cat shouting at him. He opened is eyes to find a very alive and not too happy slow worm! He said that the worst thing was that he was tired and he picked up the slow worm and it decided to shut it's eyes too!
The cat seems to have stopped killing the slow worms now (thankfully as they are lovely creatures- and protected). Unforunately, this means a few surprises when we move guitar cases to hoover!

kimmee

Wow you lot!!! Seems like Murph is not as bad as I'd thought, at least he brings them in alive and doesn't seem to want to eat them :rotfl:. I hope he doesn't actually try this delicacy and decide that mouse is a very tasty treat :eek:

skintdragon - we had thought that if it continues and we decide to let him out (which we did after a lot of pestering last night) we might just close the kitchen door and put a blanket in there so he can cosy up. Trouble is after his late night shenanigans I'm used to him sleeping it off on my bed!!

Keep the stories coming folks......:D

ninky_2

cats do this with their kittens in the wild. generally they start with an inanimate item (e.g. dead) and then work their way up to very injured and less injured. this helps the kitten learn hunting techniques.

one very convincing theory is that cats will do the same thing for their owners. by chasing the mouse around they think you are learning to hunt (well you are, actually!) however, by releasing the mouse again you just prove you are not yet able to catch and kill prey - so your cat will do it again. however, take the fact the mice are alive as a compliment - your cat obviously thinks you are advanced enough to handle moving prey!

regarding the meowing - only adult domestic cats do this with humans. they have learnt to do this to get our attention. wild cats use non verbal cues.

most prey is caught at dawn and dusk so to limit numbers you can fit a high tech cat flap that will prevent your cat going out at these times (you can get light activative ones to). you will probably need some hunting toys to help give your cat enough alternative distractions - there are some quite clever ones available.

bells can help a little but if you go down this route make sure you fit a collar that will open easily if caught on something (cat's can be strangled to death by collars caught on twigs etc).

kimmee

Thanks for the tips ninky, me and DS2 are certainly improving in the art of hunting live prey :rotfl:

He has a lot of sort of hunting toys but really doesn't seem to play with them that much so I think an google of better toys that may keep him amused is in order.

He has a one of those easy to open collars which had a bell but he managed to lose that so again, I think a trip down the local pet superstore is also in order.

But with all of the above I realise that he is a cat and it's in his nature to hunt.

crackerberry

After dark and upto 11pm/midnight was mine's favourite time for bringing live furry gifts in...ie always around the time I would be thinking about bed and be on the verge of bringing her indoors for the night.

When she used to bring them in as soon as she dumped the thing on the carpet near me she'd leg it back outside again, leaving me to it.

Even if she turned up again later and saw me hysterically trying to catch it she'd just ignore me...and it...and take herself off upstairs to bed.

kimmee

crackerberry wrote: »

After dark and upto 11pm/midnight was mine's favourite time for bringing live furry gifts in...ie always around the time I would be thinking about bed and be on the verge of bringing her indoors for the night.

When she used to bring them in as soon as she dumped the thing on the carpet near me she'd leg it back outside again, leaving me to it.

Even if she turned up again later and saw me hysterically trying to catch it she'd just ignore me...and it...and take herself off upstairs to bed.

:rotfl: that really made me laugh!! I wish Murph would leave me to it but he chases them round them house and cries when they won't play with him!!

He will also bring them in at any point in the night, doesn't seem to be any set pattern it's just got to be dark. Have to say that last night I heard him miaowing around 11.30 - I was all snuggled up in bed and soooo tired that I didn't get up to see what all the fuss was about and I don't think it was a mouse................

KimmyCustard

Kimmee

Ours goes out almost all night lately, I assume because of the light evenings. She is often found with her nose down a hole, not necessarily an animal hole, could be caused by anything, she just seems to think there's something living down EVERY hole! Found a dead mouse outside the catflap last weekend and stood on it before I saw it, contents everywhere - ew.
I dont think there is an answer, although my mum's friend has a huge mog that once tried bringing a live rabbit through the catflap, she could just hear the bonk, bonk, bonk of the rabbit's head on the flap as it was being tugged through the hole! So I shall stop moaning about ours in case she finds a bison or equivalent down her phantom hole one night .......

kimmee

KimmyCustard wrote: »

Kimmee

Ours goes out almost all night lately, I assume because of the light evenings. She is often found with her nose down a hole, not necessarily an animal hole, could be caused by anything, she just seems to think there's something living down EVERY hole! Found a dead mouse outside the catflap last weekend and stood on it before I saw it, contents everywhere - ew.
I dont think there is an answer, although my mum's friend has a huge mog that once tried bringing a live rabbit through the catflap, she could just hear the bonk, bonk, bonk of the rabbit's head on the flap as it was being tugged through the hole! So I shall stop moaning about ours in case she finds a bison or equivalent down her phantom hole one night .......

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

OMG - a live rabbit, oh dear! Yeah, Murph has taken to going out most of the night lately, I miss our cosy winter nights snuggled on the sofa! Unfortunately I spoke too soon when I said he's not brought anything in other than mice. Last night I was watching tv and he came trotting in very purposefully with what I thought was yet another mouse - it was in actual fact a dead baby bird and if we hadn't taken it off of him I'm sure he would have started chomping it under the dinner table, eeeuuwwwww.

I hope you don't have any more dead mice outside your door KimmyCustard, or wake up to find a bison :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: