The Pride Catch
Sometimes, my cats band together to catch that elusive mouse in the house. One of my cats will be in the middle of the piece of furniture, stove, or refrigerator they think the mouse is hiding under, and a cat on both ends. This method works out very well, as the mouse always gets caught. My cats will sit by the stove all night, and eventually, the hungry mouse runs right into the trap with the almond butter. Outdoor cats have routines similar to family groups, which will help catch the mouse. Outdoor cats play with the mouse before they go in for the kill.
Single Cat Mouse Hunting
My indoor cat Conrad prefers to drown them in his water dish. Cali will chase them into a trap or kill them and leave the head behind to show that she is earning her keep as a huntress. Garfunkel helps my other cats out, but he never learned mouse-hunting skills from his Mother, as he was given to me when he was very young. My outdoor cat Onyx, who died at age 18, caught many mice in the ditches by my house. I used to have a cat that would sleep in the bushes by my home in the summer months, and he could catch a lot of mice by doing that.
Mother Cats
Mother cats will generally teach their kittens how to catch and kill mice as it is a survival skill in the wild. Most Mother cats will catch and release the mouse in front of their kittens. They hope the kitten will eventually learn to kill the mouse and eat it for nutrition. Most young kittens play with the mouse, and then it gets away unless the Mother cat watches it constantly. They often repeat the mouse-hunting and killing skills until their kittens finally catch on. If the Mother cat is not a great huntress, the kittens will not be either.
If You Have Any Cracks In Your Home, A Mouse Will Get In Eventually
I caulked all of the cracks in my foundation and by my doors. Mice can run in your home when you open your door, coming and going. Mice can flatten down and get in the thinnest of cracks. I had a cat that loved to sleep with a small dog in her dog house that we had years ago. She could catch any mice that got next to my door, and the dog kept her and her cat family warm in the cold winter months. I keep mothballs in my vehicles as they do not like the smell of mothballs.
Cats Want To Please Their Human Family By Keeping Us Rodent Free
My cats are always on mouse patrol, even when I have not seen a mouse in my house all year. In frigid winters, mice will find a way to get into your home to stay cozy and warm. Never put out mouse poison when you have cats, as your cats may eat the poison and die. Let your hunters and huntresses keep your home rodent-free.
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