Cats & Mice

Jeannie wrote:
My cat has recently decided that she's a mouser. The problem is that she
doesn't kill the mice, she just brings them into the house and lets them go.
This is resulting in me running all over the house with a jam jar trying to
catch them and take them outside.

Over the past month she has brought about 6 mice in (all of which I've
caught....I think!). All the other cats I've lived with have caught the
mice, played with them for a while and then killed them, but Lily doesn't
seem to be interested in this at all. Has anyone else come across this
behaviour? Will she grow out of it? She is only about 2 years old.

Jeannie



Your cat is quite smart. She has found an elaborate way of having some
fun... she has learned you will chase the mouse too if she doesn't eat
it. ;-)

--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

I'm just hoping she doesn't start bringing birds in next!

Jeannie

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .

Your cat is quite smart. She has found an elaborate way of having some
fun... she has learned you will chase the mouse too if she doesn't eat
it. ;-)

--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

I'm just hoping she doesn't start bringing birds in next!

Jeannie

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .

Your cat is quite smart. She has found an elaborate way of having some
fun... she has learned you will chase the mouse too if she doesn't eat
it. ;-)

--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
Will she grow out of it? She is only about 2 years old.

Grow out of it? Not likely Become more skilled and productive? That is
almost assured. While living in Florida my 2 outdoor cats became quite
skilled at catching various snakes from the canal behind the house and
bringing them back to the rear patio. At first I would find the usual daily
assortment of beheaded snakes, mostly racers and garter snakes, abandoned
after their play value was used up. The cats discovered quite quickly that
if they bit off a piece of the tail rather than the head, the snake would
last longer yet still be manageable. Snakes and rats were in abundant
supply. Every few months they would bring back a young cottonmouth. The
younger female actually brought one of those into the house once. Talk about
excitement!

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
Will she grow out of it? She is only about 2 years old.

Grow out of it? Not likely Become more skilled and productive? That is
almost assured. While living in Florida my 2 outdoor cats became quite
skilled at catching various snakes from the canal behind the house and
bringing them back to the rear patio. At first I would find the usual daily
assortment of beheaded snakes, mostly racers and garter snakes, abandoned
after their play value was used up. The cats discovered quite quickly that
if they bit off a piece of the tail rather than the head, the snake would
last longer yet still be manageable. Snakes and rats were in abundant
supply. Every few months they would bring back a young cottonmouth. The
younger female actually brought one of those into the house once. Talk about
excitement!

Mine does just that...actually she brings everything home to
eat...particularly when it's wet or cold out. :P

The birds are a riot though...she's a very petite cat, so a starling or a
robin is huge for her..and for some reason, she simply MUST talk with her
mouth full. She prances in, happy as a clam, going 'rrmmmp, meep,
meerrowf'. Fortunately, after one mouse and two bird incidents, I've
learned to do a quick check BEFORE opening the door :P

--
Peace,
Pen
--
Pawbreakers - The Candy for Cats!
http://www.pawbreakers.com

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
I'm just hoping she doesn't start bringing birds in next!

Jeannie

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .

Your cat is quite smart. She has found an elaborate way of having some
fun... she has learned you will chase the mouse too if she doesn't eat
it. ;-)

--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

Mine does just that...actually she brings everything home to
eat...particularly when it's wet or cold out. :P

The birds are a riot though...she's a very petite cat, so a starling or a
robin is huge for her..and for some reason, she simply MUST talk with her
mouth full. She prances in, happy as a clam, going 'rrmmmp, meep,
meerrowf'. Fortunately, after one mouse and two bird incidents, I've
learned to do a quick check BEFORE opening the door :P

--
Peace,
Pen
--
Pawbreakers - The Candy for Cats!
http://www.pawbreakers.com

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
I'm just hoping she doesn't start bringing birds in next!

Jeannie

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
.. .

Your cat is quite smart. She has found an elaborate way of having some
fun... she has learned you will chase the mouse too if she doesn't eat
it. ;-)

--
"Its the bugs that keep it running."
-Joe Canuck

I didn't mean "grow out of it" in the sense that I wanted he to stop
catching the mice, rather I wondered if she might learn to kill them rather
than leaving them to the slow lingering death that she seems to favour at
the moment. I'm SOOO glad she doesn't broing snakes in though (is a
cottonmouth something poisonous?)

Jeannie


"RobZip" wrote in message
...

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
Will she grow out of it? She is only about 2 years old.

Grow out of it? Not likely Become more skilled and productive? That is
almost assured. While living in Florida my 2 outdoor cats became quite
skilled at catching various snakes from the canal behind the house and
bringing them back to the rear patio. At first I would find the usual
daily
assortment of beheaded snakes, mostly racers and garter snakes, abandoned
after their play value was used up. The cats discovered quite quickly that
if they bit off a piece of the tail rather than the head, the snake would
last longer yet still be manageable. Snakes and rats were in abundant
supply. Every few months they would bring back a young cottonmouth. The
younger female actually brought one of those into the house once. Talk
about
excitement!

I didn't mean "grow out of it" in the sense that I wanted he to stop
catching the mice, rather I wondered if she might learn to kill them rather
than leaving them to the slow lingering death that she seems to favour at
the moment. I'm SOOO glad she doesn't broing snakes in though (is a
cottonmouth something poisonous?)

Jeannie


"RobZip" wrote in message
...

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
Will she grow out of it? She is only about 2 years old.

Grow out of it? Not likely Become more skilled and productive? That is
almost assured. While living in Florida my 2 outdoor cats became quite
skilled at catching various snakes from the canal behind the house and
bringing them back to the rear patio. At first I would find the usual
daily
assortment of beheaded snakes, mostly racers and garter snakes, abandoned
after their play value was used up. The cats discovered quite quickly that
if they bit off a piece of the tail rather than the head, the snake would
last longer yet still be manageable. Snakes and rats were in abundant
supply. Every few months they would bring back a young cottonmouth. The
younger female actually brought one of those into the house once. Talk
about
excitement!

"jeannie" wrote in message
...
I didn't mean "grow out of it" in the sense that I wanted he to stop
catching the mice, rather I wondered if she might learn to kill them
rather
than leaving them to the slow lingering death that she seems to favour at
the moment. I'm SOOO glad she doesn't broing snakes in though (is a
cottonmouth something poisonous?)

If your cat is well fed and engaging in sport hunting, most likely she will
continue as she has. If hunting were her primary food source, the kills
would come quickly. Let one of her playtoys get a nip on her lip or nose and
see how quickly she knows how to kill.

Yes the cottonmouth is poisonous. It's an aquatic snake about 3 - 4 feet
long at maturity. The interior of the mouth is white, thus the term
cottonmouth. They can be quite aggressive if you stray into their nesting
areas when swimming.