MicesMicesIs anyone elses cat a useless as mine, now it's not that I want her to kill anything, & by & large she doesn't, she never takes the birds, she had a bad experience when she was little with the blackbirds
But, she constantly brings in mice & just lets them loose on the carpet, I was up at 4am this morning, & found her latest addition to our family in my humane trap in the bathroom, it had been pooing round the edge of the bath for two days, so I thought I'd best get this one, we must have caught 20+ over the last couple of years in the house. I caught 35 from the guinea pig run when we had them, I said to Darran we only have two mice down there, small fib We would get a bucket full, then drive them up the hill to release them, as these really do home, we had a pregnant one wandering around the spare bedroom, just what I needed, so she went up the hill too. Daisy only eats biscuits, so maybe that's why she doesn't eat them, who knows, all my animals are ever so slightly odd :wink: What next? Cheers
mel x
We've got three cats. One with a small brain, one with a tiny brain and one with no brain atall!
I love cats, but having them does bring about some sadness when they bring in beautiful creatures. Just natural instinct, but not always nice. Between the three of mine, we've had most things - but, thinking about it, the only things they do bring in live are Mice, which I usually catch in a box against a wall and let them out down the end of the garden. New Member? Get more from the Forum and join in 'Members Chat' - you're very welcome
We have 3 cats too. Their specialty is bringing mice into the kitchen. If they get away before being consumed they hide under the fridge. I always know that one is there because of a cat standing sentry duty. I shut the cats in another room and leave the kitchen door open for a while to give them the chance to escape.
See my chickens HERE!!
New pictures, ex-batts added 4/11/07 I think the idea with bringing live mice home is so you can learn to hunt :wink:
I am pretty sure this is what all felines do (including big cats) when teaching their kittens to hunt - they bring home live prey for the kittens to practice. I think the fact that they mainly bring home mice live means they think we are useless hunters, as that is the easiest prey item to subdue (after insects) :mrgreen: I think cats vary a lot in their hunting prowess and inclination. Ours don't really get much chance to hunt as they are mostly indoors (and only outdoors under supervision) but basically between the three of them: One has really never looked at catching anything, except flies (which he eats!!!!) One has a go, jumps at birds but no chance of actually catching them, and he has caught a couple of mice but not killed outright. One does not muck around - has caught and immediately killed several mice. Seeing as he was previously feral I think this makes sense - his hunting is for survival purposes and if he couldn't catch mice he would have starved! Poppy is as old as the hills but that doesn't stop her. She's mad for scrunched up balls of newspaper, shoe laces, long stalks of grass....
Happily she is satisfied with these and doesn't bring us any presents. Infact we've only had one dead mouse outside the door, and I'm fairly sure it wasn't Poppy, as she only has three teeth left.
Our Tiffany regularily brings mice / shrews etc home for her kittens.. Its her way of teaching them to kill / recognise food? This wasnt too bad when the jnrs were tiny, but now they're 12 weeks, they grab the mouse and run like hell before I can grab it or them.... Both adult cats, Tiffany and Trix are excellent mousers, not very pleasant but its natures way... If i can I rescue the victim but its usualy too late..
Tigger also grabs huge lumps of cat food and dumps them on the carpet infront of her brood.... great mum - not so good for the carpets! "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid"
Albert Einstein mouseLive , I could hear it between the cupboard & the wall in the kitchen, when Darran got up to go to work, he said it ran across the kitchen & into my slipper, we do have a lot, we always have. I've got my nephews 3 pet mice for 2 weeks, she isn't really that bothered by them, now they really do niff
Cheers
mel x |
Down the LaneRegular entries focusing on Nature in the Garden and beyond
Click here to go there
Poultry Supplies•Chicken Fencing •Drink & Food Feeders •Health & Wellbeing •Red Mite Products •Poultry Feed •Automatic Door Openers •Chicken Keeping Books
Chicken BreedersOver 400 Breeders across the UK now listed.. Chicken Breeders & Other Poultry UK Pages
Ex-Battery Hen |