Too young to catch mice?

We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

that looks just like my LIMO
wrote in message
...
We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to wher you got him and call an exterminator
than stop being a complete idiot

On Nov 19, 1:26 pm, "Matthew"
wrote:
that looks just like my wrote in message

...

We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to wher you got him and call an exterminator
than stop being a complete idiot

I'd like to clear this up a little. I did not mean to imply that the
only reason we got him was to catch mice. we were looking for a pet,
and when it came time to decide between a cat (which i wanted) and a
dog (which my roommate wanted) the decision came down to cats being
able to catch mice. he's not a "cheap form of pest control", we're not
going to take him back, he's part of the family now I'm just trying to
learn a little about what might help him become a better hunter. Cats
are natural hunters, I know this, but since his mother did not bring
him any mice to practice on I was wondering if there's something I
should be doing. And truth be told he's probably not catching the mice
cause he's sound asleep in my bed!

wrote in message
...
On Nov 19, 1:26 pm, "Matthew"
wrote:
that looks just like my wrote in message

...

We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to wher you got him and call an
exterminator
than stop being a complete idiot

I'd like to clear this up a little. I did not mean to imply that the
only reason we got him was to catch mice. we were looking for a pet,
and when it came time to decide between a cat (which i wanted) and a
dog (which my roommate wanted) the decision came down to cats being
able to catch mice. he's not a "cheap form of pest control", we're not
going to take him back, he's part of the family now I'm just trying to
learn a little about what might help him become a better hunter. Cats
are natural hunters, I know this, but since his mother did not bring
him any mice to practice on I was wondering if there's something I
should be doing. And truth be told he's probably not catching the mice
cause he's sound asleep in my bed!

Ok than ignore my posts but when you post what you did What do you think we
are going to think

1 call an exterminator rats and mice carry disease and you could kill
your cat
2 cats are natural hunters unless it learns from another cat or mom they
will maime their prey and more inlikley play with it not knowing what to do
so unless you want a tidying on your pillow that is still alive CALL AN
EXTERMINATOR
3 IMO please keep your cat inside there are so many reason to do so

Oh, good KEeerist~!!~

Please note the interpolations.

On Nov 19, 1:46*pm, "Matthew"
wrote:

Ok than ignore my posts but when you post what you did What do you think we
are going to think

1 *call an exterminator * *rats and mice carry disease and you could kill
your cat

Rats and mice carry disease, true. But cats are feral creatures which
in order to be complete (as a cat) must hunt. A properly vaccinated
cat with a systemic insect treatment is safer from these diseases than
the human in charge. Any one who has the gift of curiosity and has
done any research at all on "ratting cats" will discover that the best
hunters are well-fed, well-cared-for family pets. These cats will hunt
for sport, not for food. This means that they will wipe out a mouse
population for the sport of it. Cats who hunt by necessity take only
what they must and ignore the rest.

2 cats are natural hunters unless it learns from another cat or mom * they
will maime their prey and more inlikley play with it not knowing what to do
so unless you want a tidying on your pillow that is still alive * *CALL AN
EXTERMINATOR

Cats will play with their prey. That is also a natural behavior.
Mother cats give their kittens half-dead prey so they can learn to
kill without danger. Most so-called "adult" cats kept as pets are
*victims* of severely arrested development - large kittens if you
will. This is NOT good for the mental and emotional well-being of the
animal. As to leaving dead animals on the pillow, doorstep, whatever,
that is displacement behavior. They perceive us as particularly
incompetent hunters and wish to feed us. When they do this, PRAISE
THEM. TAKE THE DEAD CREATURE AND HIDE IT - so they think you ate it.
They think that they are doing you a huge favor and absolutely do not
understand any other reaction than appreciation.

3 IMO please keep your cat inside there are so many reason to do so-

Of course there are. And imagine if you were kept in a few rooms with
no entertainment other than that given grudgingly by huge creatures
who haven't a clue as to your real needs. No stimulation, nothing new,
nothing remarkable... ever... forever. Now you have a pretty good idea
of the typical house-cat's life after it gets past "cute kittenhood".
It may live a very long time and be superficially very healthy. You
would too if you were lobotomized and kept, clean and well-fed, in a
closet.

On a personal basis, our oldest cat (Boswell, Maine Coon, 12 years
old) has managed prey without any damage of any kind up to the size of
a yearling raccoon. He has brought home, live and undamaged for the
young dog to play with, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks. He is
perhaps the happiest cat we have ever had - and one of the healthiest.
He is training his new kitten well - who is as-yet too young to go out
(we wait a year). He has twice saved lives by his direct action.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...ll+peter+wieck

Follow that thread for the history.

I have also directly employed a cat in a very serious and professional
environment. He retired a short time ago at 19.

http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/curren...99/Raider.html

No pet should be a personal appendage on the order of a piece of
jewelry or bit of art. They are living creatures with real needs that
are a 'requirement of nature' if you will. By building a mythology of
what is 'best for them' even though it thwarts their nature makes them
nothing at all more than that bit of soothing fluff - not a living,
breathing, creature that should !CHOOSE! to share our lives much as we
choose to share with it.

If your dog (large or small) cannot get off its leash and run every
day until it is tired - don't get a dog. If your cat cannot hunt
natural prey and you are not prepared to spend the time and effort to
provide genuine substitutions equally as stimulating - don't get a
cat. Keep in mind that unlike a dog, a healthy cat will sleep up to 22
hours a day at the extreme, more like 16 hours on average - so they
are somewhat easier to entertain than a dog.

As for Meghan - not to worry. Your kitten will learn to hunt without
adult-cat supervision. It will be awkward, sloppy and difficult at
first. But eventually he will get the hang of it. And when it comes to
exterminators - Don't if mice are your only problem. They have all of
two things they can do. Traps or poison. Traps get only the dumb ones
and you can do that just as well as they can (hint: use peanut-butter,
better Reese's Cups as bait - mice will eat cheese only if there is NO
alternative. All but white-footed deer mice are vegetarian). And
poison presents massive environmental problems even if not a direct
threat to your pets.

Otherwise, enjoy your kitten. And try to understand that eventually it
will become a cat - just as much pleasure but at an entirely different
level.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

you actually have a lot to learn about cats


wrote in message
...
Oh, good KEeerist~!!~

snipped

wrote in message
...
Oh, good KEeerist~!!~

Please note the interpolations.

On Nov 19, 1:46 pm, "Matthew"
wrote:

Ok than ignore my posts but when you post what you did What do you think
we
are going to think

1 call an exterminator rats and mice carry disease and you could kill
your cat

Rats and mice carry disease, true. But cats are feral creatures which
in order to be complete (as a cat) must hunt.

Domesticated cats are not "feral creatures." Idiot.

why did my post show up like that huh correct version
" wrote in message
...
We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to where you got him if you want a mouse
trap and call an exterminator than stop being a complete idiot when it
comes to your cat. You cat is not a machine since you are a first time
poster here I am thinking TROLL

On Nov 19, 1:41 pm, "Matthew"
wrote:
why did my post show up like that huh correct version

" wrote in message
...
We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to where you got him if you want a mouse
trap and call an exterminator than stop being a complete idiot when it
comes to your cat. You cat is not a machine since you are a first time
poster here I am thinking TROLL

and actually we rescued the kitten who was being kept on a freezing
cold porch, hadn't been taken to the vet, was covered in fleas and
clearly malnourished. he's now much healthier and being properly taken
care of. and on a side note, I came to this discussion board because I
was curious if i was missing something and was met with judgmental
assumptions about who i am as a cat owner. if i were a negligent owner
who saw my cat as a "cheap form of pest control" then I would probably
not go to the trouble of trying to learn more. In addition, I was
under the assumption that this discussion board would be helpful in
answering some of my questions. Instead I have been called a 'complete
idiot' for asking simple questions. I would suggest that in the future
you think a little more about your posts so that rather than drive
people away with your harsh criticism you welcome their input and
questions, which is after all the entire purpose of discussion.

If anyone has any useful and helpful input I welcome it. If you merely
want to call me an idiot and imply that I am in some way less than
loving of my cat then I'd appreciate if you keep your misinformed and
myopic opinions to yourself. Thank you.

wrote in message
...
On Nov 19, 1:41 pm, "Matthew"
wrote:
why did my post show up like that huh correct version

" wrote in message
...
We got a kitten to catch the mice in the house. He's about 12 weeks
old or so. The vet has recommended that he stay indoors, so he's not
getting any practice hunting outside at all. He loves to chase the
laser and play with little foam balls, and we have one of those little
mice that hangs on an elastic string that goes over the door that he
also loves. The problem is that in the 3 weeks since we got him the
mice have apparently gotten much bolder. The other night one ran right
by his food dish and this morning a mouse stood up on his hind legs
when it saw my roommate! The cat is never around when the mice are,
they seem to be coming from behind the stove or under the fridge and
he does spend some time sniffing around there and looking around
there, but he certainly hasn't chased or caught anything. Is he too
young for us to expect him to catch the mice? Or is there anything I
can do to help teach him?

Nope but you can take him back to where you got him if you want a mouse
trap and call an exterminator than stop being a complete idiot when it
comes to your cat. You cat is not a machine since you are a first time
poster here I am thinking TROLL

and actually we rescued the kitten who was being kept on a freezing
cold porch, hadn't been taken to the vet, was covered in fleas and
clearly malnourished. he's now much healthier and being properly taken
care of. and on a side note, I came to this discussion board because I
was curious if i was missing something and was met with judgmental
assumptions about who i am as a cat owner. if i were a negligent owner
who saw my cat as a "cheap form of pest control" then I would probably
not go to the trouble of trying to learn more. In addition, I was
under the assumption that this discussion board would be helpful in
answering some of my questions. Instead I have been called a 'complete
idiot' for asking simple questions. I would suggest that in the future
you think a little more about your posts so that rather than drive
people away with your harsh criticism you welcome their input and
questions, which is after all the entire purpose of discussion.

If anyone has any useful and helpful input I welcome it. If you merely
want to call me an idiot and imply that I am in some way less than
loving of my cat then I'd appreciate if you keep your misinformed and
myopic opinions to yourself. Thank you.


Well no offense when you come on here and say you want the cat to catch mice
WTF do you expect