Talk to me about cats, as rodent control and general questions.

[homebirtha]

We're not really cat people. We've never had one, don't know much about keeping them, etc.

We are now having rat issues and we're considering taking a cat a friend needs to find a new home for. This cat has been an indoor and outdoor cat, and does not like to be confined indoors. We would keep him outside only. (He could go in the barn, just not in the house.)

Will a cat catch rats? He has caught birds and other critters at his current home. More importantly, will he bother our chickens? What about chicks? How old do the birds have to be to be safe from a cat?

[tobo6]

I'm not a cat person either, but we have 5 of them. All of them stay outside. The intent was to have barn cats, but with four kids who play with them constantly they seem to migrate around the front door and run in the house going wild everytime the door opens up.

We had major mouse problems before we got them, and have not had a mouse in the house sense. By the way they leave presents all over the yard I know they are catching mice, a few rats, and this summer a million shrews. Oh and we have one cat that catches squirrels and rabbits. Honestly, even though I am more a dog person (or any other animal besides cat person) I wouldn't live in the country without a couple outside cats.

We have chickens, and right now at least 30 banty chicks which are running around and the cats have never killed the chicks. I have seen the cats stalk the chicks and "try" and get them, but momma hen goes into attack mode and the cat will take off running. We had the chickens first, and I think that is key to knowing your chicks will be safe.

We feed our cats cat food, so they seem to be doing their job for the kill since they seldom eat what they kill.

[Ravenlost]

I am a cat person, but I only have five right now. They are all indoor/outdoor cats except for Esther who will not leave the barn. Haven't seen a mouse since Esther moved in.

Yesterday my husband and I watched in amusement as Charlie stalked the chicken only to be run back to the house by a large rooster.

I can't live without cats. I strongly urge spaying/neutering, flea/tick treatment and rabies shots yearly.

[ChickenHound]

I have 5 indoor cats & they eliminated the mouse problem we had inside each winter. Not a single mouse, period.

I also have 2 outdoor cats and chickens. I feed the cats & they have still eliminated the mouse infestation in our garage. They couldn't care less about the chickens, and have never once tried to harm them. It's much easier to eat cat food from a bowl than to attack and kill a chicken I suppose.

Before getting our cats, I researched it quite a bit and most information said that the smell of a cat deters mice from entering the area, and disrupts their breeding cycle. So even if they don't hunt, they keep mice away.

[DW]

We almost always have 2 to 3 (fixed)cats. We only have 2 now b/c the old one (21 yrs) died this summer. One winter we did not have any cats and the mice drilled holes through the sheets in the linnen closet. I can now laugh but it wasn't funny then. We have not been without cats since and do not have any mice in our house or sheds. If you live in the country, you NEED cats! One stays outside unless bad weather, One comes in at night and the old one lived outside. We provide heated water bowl in winter and heated insulated house for winter.

[katlupe]

I am a cat person too. We have 4 and they are indoor/outdoor, which means they go where they want. But they have to come in before dark and they can't go out until it's light, because we live in the forest and I don't want anything to get them.

They live to kill. That is except for my 16 year old, she is retired.

In April my pet chicken, who lived with us in our house, in a dog kennel died. When she was outside, since she was our only chicken, she seemed to consider our dog and 4 cats her flock. She hung out with them all. In fact, one cat would rub her head right on Lil' Red's beak.

Of course, she was a big chicken. But they would sometimes stalk her, but she never seemed to fear them. They were playing with her, just like they do with each other. I'm not too sure what they will do when we do get different chickens. That's why I might just take some from my friend instead of getting baby chicks. At least this first time.

[HilltopDaisy]

I have 5 indoor/outdoor cats, and no rodent problem at all. One of my cats actually killed a weasel last summer! I've had lots of chicks and chickens over the last 3 years and have never had a cat go after one. I assume a cat can kill a rat, but my cats seem to bring me lots of field mice. I think the MOST IMPORTANT part of owning cats is having them spayed or neutered at the appropriate age. You do NOT want feral cats on your property.

[HermitJohn]

I like cats but one or two is plenty to spoil. However I have 14 at the moment and for the forseeable future. I rescued 3 pregnant mamas that neighbor abandoned last January. All fixed by vet this spring as I have no wish for 500 by next summer.

I havent seen any mice or rats anywhere around the house or yard for some time now. Birds either, but there is price to pay for everything. Cats all have their own personalities just like humans and other animals. Some are great hunters, others just want to eat cat food, be petted, and sleep (and jump on the computer keyboard while I'm typing). I think having several cats introduces a certain competitive spirit amoung them for hunting. Cant be too lonely with 14 cats and a bewildered old dog who wonders where all the cats came from. At least he has the idea that they are my cats and tends not to bother them. That was a big worry since I cant keep this many cats confined to my little house without all of us going stir crazy.





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[BaronsMom]

We had outdoor cats - they weren't as effective on rats.

But we had a manchester terrier dog and she was death on rats!

[Laura]

Last winter was our first year we didn't have outside cats and the mice and rats took over everywhere even though we have a Jack Russell terrier. They ate the wiring out of our vehicles and rats began stealing eggs and squabs from the pigeon loft. They ate poison bait as fast as we could put it out.

We are back up to 3 indoor/outdoor cats and 2 outdoor kittens that should make good hunters. After I got the kittens, the Humane Society was giving away unsocialized cats that were fixed and vaccinated to be outside or barn cats. I would have preferred disinterested adult cats to these kittens that are getting handled and loved way too much.

My little 5 pound mouser has never tackled rats, but is death to mice. None of my cats have ever bothered the chicks, even though some of those cats caught crows.

Be aware, not all cats hunt. Some never learn how or never develop an interest in it. Cats that are overfed and overweight rarely hunt.

[comfortablynumb]

I have 9 cats. cats, if born outside and their mom shows them live prey will hunt anything.
Ive watched mine hunt in packs (yes like wolves) in the hayfield and run rabbits down as big as they are.

they catch about a rat a week, and I see little if any sign of rat outside and none in the house (or mouse sign).

once they get the hunt instinct, they kill everything they can run down or overpower.
bunnies rats mice birds weasles.... one cat even caught a snake once.

[Quint]

I keep mine inside the buildings they are to protect. Never have a mouse problem.

I never let them out to roam around the yard. Cats are enormously destructive to wildlife. They can devastate the songbirds, game birds and small mammal populations. Cats that get caught roaming around my property take a dirt nap pet or no pet.

[MaineFarmMom]

I'm with the folks who suggest a dog. We don't have rats thankfully. Our farmcollies and lab/shepherd take care of red squirrels, mice, moles and other critters. The outdoor cat does her share but if you like dogs better than cats I say go for a dog.

[homebirtha]

Well, we have three dogs, so the dogs aren't working too well on the rodent issue. The English Shepherd puppy was playing with a dead rat the other day, but I'm not sure she caught it or found it. (We had put out poison. Yuck, I know.)

We're going to give the cat a try. He has hunted, that's the reason they need to get rid of him. The neighbors are complaining because he gets birds from their bird feeder. I'm hoping with the mice and rats, he won't need to chase birds too much. But I do feel badly about that possibility.

Oh, and yes, he's neutered.

Originally Posted by MaineFarmMom

I'm with the folks who suggest a dog. We don't have rats thankfully. Our farmcollies and lab/shepherd take care of red squirrels, mice, moles and other critters. The outdoor cat does her share but if you like dogs better than cats I say go for a dog.

[FiddleKat]

Our cat use to be a feral cat and we got him when he was 5 weeks old. The other cat we had my DH's cousin bought from a pet store. Her cat wasn't much of a mouser at all. But our cat catches almost anything!! I really think it has something to do with him being once feral and its just inbred.

Last week he actually caught a young rabbit! Which really surprised me. It wasn't a baby but wasn't full grown yet either. The poor thing was squealing away and I grabbed our cat and held onto him until he released it. But he's always bringing mice, voles and birds home.