Rodent adventures...

[cairistiona]

We have a problem. We installed a cat door so the cats can go in and out in the winter without me having to open a full size door and let out a lot of heat. It's working well, but... Pip (we think) is apparently catching mice and voles outside and bringing them in the house, alive, to play with.

(We know it's not Pepper; she catches them and eats them on deck by the back door, which is lovely because then she leaves the entrails for me to eat clean up. But I've caught Pip waiting at the back door with a live one in her mouth, wanting to bring in her new furry play toy.)

*facepalm*

Friday night hubby and I were quietly enjoying some television when hubby noticed Pip was sitting on the floor intently staring at the end of the couch. We've seen that look before: it means she's spotted a mouse. So we paused the TV, upturned the couch and hey-ho, there scurried a pretty large field mouse who promptly scooted away behind the computer armoire. Hubby stationed himself at one side of the armoire, armed with a broom, and I stationed myself at the other with a large bowl to drop on the beast once hubby prodded it my direction. We switched roles after that didn't work (too many computer wires for me to capture it) and then success! We slid a piece of cardboard under the bowl and hubby took it out into the woods.

Pepper watched the entire time from her cat bed, mildly interested, and Pip simply sat about 10 feet away, clearly highly entertained.

This morning, I heard a lot of odd banging and bumping in the dining room. Investigation found Pip laying on the floor with both front paws wrapped around the cylindrical ceramic umbrella stand in the corner. I looked behind it, and there was a vole shivering in the corner. This time it was far easier to catch him; I simply poked from one side with an umbrella and he slowly emerged on the other and I dropped the bowl over him and lather, rinse, repeat to turn him loose in the woods.

Anyone know how to train a cat not to bring in live entertainment from the great outdoors? *sigh*

Comments

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

I got nothin', sorry.

Though the fact that she is providing you with such wonderful, interactive entertainment no doubt means (in her mind) that she is doing an excellent job! Maybe she's expecting a promotion or a Christmas bonus? [g]

[ysilme]

Maybe she's expecting a promotion or a Christmas bonus? [g]
OMG, I've been doing this wrong all the time! ROLF :D

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I would not put it past her to be thinking exactly that!

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

I also reposted one of my favorite "kitty shame" pics just for you. :)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Bwa ha ha ha... it can indeed always be worse.

[ysilme]

*LOL* Welcome to my world. On good days, I'm dealing with two or three dead mice, voles or shrews plus one or two live specimens.... although that's admittedly are. But one dead and one alive is pretty normal, or half-alive. And let's not talk of the (thankfully extremely rare) birds or occasional blindworm, lizard or toad....
In my experience there is unfortunately no way to bring your cat to leave the prey outside. But we've reached an acceptable compromise by now. Whatever the cats bring in and I can catch right away (sometimes the alive prey plays dead, very practical) gets brought outside again, or any kind of reptile. If I don't catch it, I leave them to it. Once the novelty of catching something inside is over they get used to it and know how to do it in the best way; you might want to secure fragile items on the floor, though, or protect sensible areas like a computer area or so with chicken wire frames in strategic places. (Or you install them in a way they won't suffer from feline intervention.) Whatever gets away first goes hiding somewhere and doesn't do any damage within the first night or so, we've found. Either some of the brood takes care of it until the next morning (they work best when no interfering humans with mouse-bothering noises are around in my experience ;o) ), otherwise we put up the life trap which is our best friend. We use Nutella on a piece of hard bread or bread crust, this has proven to be the most efficient. Shrews don't go into life traps but don't need any, as the poor things won't outlive a night and a day without food anyway, and they only eat insects.
We even had a mouse living in our living room for several days under the sofa, but all damage she did was leaving some stains on the extra bed which was under the sofa, where she likely has rested and slept. Most escaped rodents were injured and died (hopefully peacefully) in some corner, where I eventually find them in any kind of state and discard of them.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I've rescued at least 3 lizards as well, though I suspect they slip in from the garage without help from the cats, as we've also had the occasional small snake get into the house. Wildlife is so fun. XD

If this continues at this pace, I probably will get live traps to set here and there. The trouble is that I don't think either of our cats would actually kill the rodents once they're inside. Pip doesn't have the kill instinct... she just plays with them until she gets bored and then leaves them to either run and hide in the depths of the house somewhere or for me to find and carry outside. Pepper does have the kill instinct but she apparently switches it off once she's inside.

Ah well. Part and parcel of pet ownership. It does make for unexpected adventures. :)

[mrowe.livejournal.com]

Pip is thinking that the human training is going well; another couple of weeks and you'll be ready to hunt on your own outside...

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

LOL! You may be onto something.

[wizard42745.livejournal.com]

When I was young, I had a grey Persian that would bring live snakes and leave them for my mother-who was not amused!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness! I wouldn't have any issues with the cats bringing in snakes, but I know for some it'd be enough to cause them to leave the house, shut the door, and burn it down. LOL

[mikononyte.livejournal.com]

It is said, by people who know (whomever that is supposed to be! LOL) that cats bring you "gifts" when they love you.

Perhaps it is time to convince her to love you Less!

I'd laugh but frankly, at least YOUR cat can catch them. My idiots (when they were alive) would sit quivering and wailing because some strange "thing" was in their house and they had no idea what to do about it (other than look at me in total distress). Persians apparently flunk the "Mouse Catchers" course. *sighs*

LOL

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure Pip is bringing these things in as gifts for anyone but herself! XD Now Pepper does seem to have that intent when she brings a dead whatever and leaves it at the back door. Or at least, she seems to have that intent when she doesn't eat it right then and there.

And your cats sound like my sister's cat, who is good at Alerting Everyong To A Problem By Yowling... but expects my sister to actually deal with said problem!

[imbecamiel.livejournal.com]

Caaaaats. >.< I'm sure Pip thought the game turned out even better than expected. It was such a good idea, even the humans couldn't resist joining in! *headdesk*

Unfortunately, I've got no idea how you'd even try discouraging that kind of behavior... I know there are pet doors meant to stop wild critters from sneaking inside (only unlock when an animal with the right radio signal collar approaches), but that's not going to be any help if she's actively carrying them in with her.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Pip was definitely having fun watching and trying to horn in. *g* Hey, points for trying to help, I'll give her that much.

Hubby ordered a live-trap so we have it now, in case one gets away that we just can't find. But yes, just have to go the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" route, after a fashion.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

It's never boring with them, is it? :)
I don't know what else to say except - good luck! :)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Cats are *always* an adventure. XD

[nefhiriel.livejournal.com]

Ha! That is so like a cat. Maybe someone in the comments above has already suggested it, but you might try cutting back on her food, thereby encouraging her to kill and eat some of her catches instead of toying with them for so long.

Cami might have told you already, but our cat Ella has a VERY nifty "toy" storage container that she uses: her litter box. Cami's found more than one shivering little mouse trapped in THAT hellhole (can you imagine how terrifying that would be as a mouse???).

I've had my own rodent problems over the last week...there's a mouse trapped in the wall RIGHT next to the head of my bed. I'm not even unnerved by it anymore, it's just annoying when it starts gnawing at something at 4 in the morning. *groan* (Thankfully, my dad's been helping me drill holes and fill the wall with expanding foam - so if the mouse wasn't trapped before, maybe it is now. As badly as I feel for a mouse starving to death, I can't take anymore of this. XD )

I actually think mice are adorable...but in the house? Yeah. Not so fun.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, feeding Pip less would be far more annoying than putting up with the occasional live rodent. >.< She does not take hunger quietly and she wouldn't dream of actually trying to eat RAW MEAT. You should see the look she gives Pepper when she eats a mouse. It's equal parts fascination and disgust. LOL

Poor mousy stuck in a litter box! Ewww.

I hear you on the conundrum that is a mouse in the wall. They're soooo noisy, and always at night. And then if they get trapped and die, there's the smell... more Ewww.

Rodents are just... annoying!

[suzll.livejournal.com]

Oh jeez..I'm afraid I have no expertise or advice to give, bc all my cats have been indoors, but you have my sympathies! Rodents are on my list of Things I Can't Deal with...roaches and other pests, fine, but mice creep me out!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I don't actually have too much of a problem with being creeped out, at least, though I'm always concerned about getting bit and about disease. But on the whole I do think they're cute. We have a live-trap now so that will help, hopefully.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Leo soon grew out of it.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Our cats are both full adults, so growing out of it isn't a likelihood. But we have a live trap now so hopefully it will be simpler to catch them in the future.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

He was about 6 or so when he stopped bringing prey home.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I see. Pip is about that age and Pepper a little older, so perhaps they'll stop eventually... or they may be the type to do it until they're too feeble to mess with it! That would be more my luck. LOL

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I have no ideas for you, but it may end up being the great idea that wasn't when it comes to the cat door.

- Erulisse (one L)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

We don't regret the cat door itself... it saves me having to constantly let the cats in and out all day and it preserves the weather seal from Pip's claws when she wants in or out. But it definitely has presented an unforeseen (but fortunately very intermittent) challenge!