cats and mice

zamo27

i am thinking about getting a kitten and i was wondering are cats naturally hunters and will hunt down mice in our shed? are there better breeds then others and would there be any training involved?

Galwaymother

Yes, cats are natural hunters, they hunt even when you don't want them too, for example birds!
Your average Moggie is great for hunting.
Even the fact that there is a cat around deters rodents from hanging around your premises.
That's one of the reasons we should respect cats, even ferals, and not treat them as vermin!

kylith

Not all cats are natural hunters and, IMO terriers make better ratters than cats, but you should never get an animal just for pest control. Get a pet because you want a pet, then the pest control is a bonus.

wolfpawnat

I got a kitten as a pest control. Useless hunter, but it got rid of the problem. We had mice in our apartment, they are all over the complex, but as soon as he came, they left. He is also a valued member of the family though. As I type he is sleeping (his 6th nap today) next to me. Their smell is a natural deterrent to rodents and they are pretty self sufficient so they are good pets the vast majority of the time, as for breeds, your basic moggie and tabby's are good and usually going for free to good homes.

zamo27

I have a German pointer in the garden , he's happy out but won't say boo unless the postman walks up the drive. He never even flinches at a mouse I would bet he shares his nuts with them mice!
I would look after the cat but need to sort out this re occurring mice problem in the shed. I eliminated every possible food source hence the need for a cat
Thank for your advice

SillyMangoX

If you're not interested in the cat being a pet, like if you just want iti for pest control there are plenty of rescues looking to rehome feral cats to these kind of situations, all you need to do it feed them to keep them around, but they aren't used to being handled. If this is something you are interested in I can private message you some details!

zamo27

SillyMangoX wrote: »

If you're not interested in the cat being a pet, like if you just want iti for pest control there are plenty of rescues looking to rehome feral cats to these kind of situations, all you need to do it feed them to keep them around, but they aren't used to being handled. If this is something you are interested in I can private message you some details!

Please do
Thanks