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#1
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice
coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink |
#2
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On 2/8/2012 9:10 PM, Brian Link wrote:
For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink probably because they're toying with it rather than dispatching them. perhaps if they were hungrier? a friend that has an outdoor cat near the desert commented that during the winter, the cat lays around and eats inside food, but during the summer when there's more plentiful outdoor prey, he eats almost no indoor food but concentrates on pack rats and desert rabbits. |
#3
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:25 -0600, Brian Link .
wrote: For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink I've only had a mouse three times in 16 years but my cats seem hardwired to do them in. I did manage to rescue two of them before they were killed and sent them on their way (outside). My one girl does seem to be the best at tackling them but I did pick her up off the street so she might have learned out there. |
#4
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:48:45 -0500, dgk wrote:
On Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:25 -0600, Brian Link . wrote: For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink I've only had a mouse three times in 16 years but my cats seem hardwired to do them in. I did manage to rescue two of them before they were killed and sent them on their way (outside). My one girl does seem to be the best at tackling them but I did pick her up off the street so she might have learned out there. We were all for them killing the critters, until one night when they grabbed one and it looked absolutely pitiful, rearing up, running around in panicked circles. My wife was in tears, and decided that we should try to save them if we can. Well, luckily one of my jobs in college was working for a scientist doing field-mouse studies. Occasionally one of the rascals would get loose, and I developed a good strategy for grabbing them (with a gardening glove on). I've managed to catch 2 and toss them outside before the cats could savage them. BLink |
#5
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:48:45 -0500, dgk wrote:
On Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:25 -0600, Brian Link . wrote: For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink I've only had a mouse three times in 16 years but my cats seem hardwired to do them in. I did manage to rescue two of them before they were killed and sent them on their way (outside). My one girl does seem to be the best at tackling them but I did pick her up off the street so she might have learned out there. Just after I posted my first response, Louis managed to grab a mouse under the stove. This time I heard a definite "CRUNCH!", and there was blood. Managed to grab it and toss it outside. Now he's ****ed at me for getting rid of his toy.. BLink |
#6
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
Per Brian Link:
Just after I posted my first response, Louis managed to grab a mouse under the stove. This time I heard a definite "CRUNCH!", and there was blood. Managed to grab it and toss it outside. Now he's ****ed at me for getting rid of his toy.. I keep hearing stories about other people's cats killing things and bringing them home to be placed at one's feet. Ours gets 'hold of something and I can't even get near it. It kind of hunkers down, glares at me with this "Yer not gonna get *this* one sucker..." look, and darts off with the prey in it's mouth. Every so often I find a long-dead mouse, vole, or chipmunk. Ours seems to like to eat the legs and tails off - hopefully after the thing is dead... -- Pete Cresswell |
#7
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:42:20 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote: Per Brian Link: Just after I posted my first response, Louis managed to grab a mouse under the stove. This time I heard a definite "CRUNCH!", and there was blood. Managed to grab it and toss it outside. Now he's ****ed at me for getting rid of his toy.. I keep hearing stories about other people's cats killing things and bringing them home to be placed at one's feet. Ours gets 'hold of something and I can't even get near it. It kind of hunkers down, glares at me with this "Yer not gonna get *this* one sucker..." look, and darts off with the prey in it's mouth. Every so often I find a long-dead mouse, vole, or chipmunk. Ours seems to like to eat the legs and tails off - hopefully after the thing is dead... I let me cats go out into the (fenced in) backyard when I'm around. During the summer they rarely catch anything, but during winter I have a bird feeder and a (heated) birdbath so there are zillions of birds back there. On the weekends I do let the cats out but I try to arrange it so the birdseed runs out first. Still, sometimes the cats are back there when the birds are feeding. I bang something to frighten them away as the cats head out the door, but then it's up to them. Espy is the best at nailing a bird. He hunkers down under a naked azelea and tries his best to stay still, and he's good at it. He does better if he's the only cat back there because the others move around a lot and scare the birds away. He'll sit still for an hour waiting for a bird to come too close. So two or three times during the winter I'll see Espy with a bird in his mouth. I try to get it away while it's still viable but sometimes it's too late. Still, I go through 40 lbs of seed a week and change the water in the bath every third day so the birds still come out way ahead. |
#8
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:37:48 -0500, dgk wrote:
On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:42:20 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote: Per Brian Link: Just after I posted my first response, Louis managed to grab a mouse under the stove. This time I heard a definite "CRUNCH!", and there was blood. Managed to grab it and toss it outside. Now he's ****ed at me for getting rid of his toy.. I keep hearing stories about other people's cats killing things and bringing them home to be placed at one's feet. Ours gets 'hold of something and I can't even get near it. It kind of hunkers down, glares at me with this "Yer not gonna get *this* one sucker..." look, and darts off with the prey in it's mouth. Every so often I find a long-dead mouse, vole, or chipmunk. Ours seems to like to eat the legs and tails off - hopefully after the thing is dead... I let me cats go out into the (fenced in) backyard when I'm around. During the summer they rarely catch anything, but during winter I have a bird feeder and a (heated) birdbath so there are zillions of birds back there. On the weekends I do let the cats out but I try to arrange it so the birdseed runs out first. Still, sometimes the cats are back there when the birds are feeding. I bang something to frighten them away as the cats head out the door, but then it's up to them. Espy is the best at nailing a bird. He hunkers down under a naked azelea and tries his best to stay still, and he's good at it. He does better if he's the only cat back there because the others move around a lot and scare the birds away. He'll sit still for an hour waiting for a bird to come too close. So two or three times during the winter I'll see Espy with a bird in his mouth. I try to get it away while it's still viable but sometimes it's too late. Still, I go through 40 lbs of seed a week and change the water in the bath every third day so the birds still come out way ahead. Thanks for this - I remember that I was involved with birder groups when I was last active on Usenet. The birders would holler about cats eating songbirds, and the cat folks would holler "THAT'S WHAT CATS DO! GET OVER IT!". Still, I'm not a fan of letting cats outside. Tiger prolly couldn't have made it to a ripe old age if he'd been an outside cat. Saw the neighbor's cat get plowed down in the street a couple years ago. Nobody should ever have to see that, cat-lover or not. He was just out for his evening constitutional, and a car came roaring through. How many tears have been shed for a cat eaten by dogs, or run over by some dude driving too fast? BLink |
#9
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
dgk wrote:
On Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:25 -0600, Brian Link . wrote: For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink I've only had a mouse three times in 16 years but my cats seem hardwired to do them in. I did manage to rescue two of them before they were killed and sent them on their way (outside). My one girl does seem to be the best at tackling them but I did pick her up off the street so she might have learned out there. My, "B-K" brought a chipmonk in last year, and he lived under our stove for the whole Winter. All the cats tried to get him but easily the fastest thing on four feet is a chipmonk.... they didn't have a chance. We fed and watered him all Winter, and when the weather warmed up, I left the sliding glass door open a crack at night and after a few days, he "escaped"., by then, the cats had accepted him as another pet, and were unconcerned..... |
#10
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Cats as mousers: nature or nurture?
On Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:04:52 -0800, "Bill Graham"
wrote: dgk wrote: On Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:25 -0600, Brian Link . wrote: For the first time in the 12+ years we've lived here, we've got mice coming indoors. We've got a 16 year-old moggie adopted from a farm cat litter, and a 9 year-old F7 Bengal, both males. They've slain two mice so far (we found the carcasses on the kitchen floor), but we've seen a few more and witnessed the cats hunting them. The Bengal is the most energetic and enthusiastic, but the most clumsy. The moggie is patient, precise and determined. I read somewhere that female cats are the main hunters, and that only when they've been properly taught by their mothers. Also that male cats will hunt mice for food when feral. They both seem pretty interested in the mice we've seen, but don't deliver killing blows, thus allowing the mice to escape. So, any hope that our two cats will figure out how to cleanly dispatch a mouse? I suspect that the corpses we found were probably scared to death, or inadvertantly killed by play. My guess is that the Bengal is thrilled that we somehow bought him the BEST CAT TOY EVER!! Thanks for any ideas. BLink I've only had a mouse three times in 16 years but my cats seem hardwired to do them in. I did manage to rescue two of them before they were killed and sent them on their way (outside). My one girl does seem to be the best at tackling them but I did pick her up off the street so she might have learned out there. My, "B-K" brought a chipmonk in last year, and he lived under our stove for the whole Winter. All the cats tried to get him but easily the fastest thing on four feet is a chipmonk.... they didn't have a chance. We fed and watered him all Winter, and when the weather warmed up, I left the sliding glass door open a crack at night and after a few days, he "escaped"., by then, the cats had accepted him as another pet, and were unconcerned..... I know. We've always said Tiger is our cat, and Louis is Tiger's cat. Now Louis has a pet/pets too. He just has to learn how not to break them. BLink |
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