Rats in house and getting a kitten or cat

Planthedgeandtree

Planthedgeandtree

Well-known member
Voice said:
We tried a harness on both of ours when we first got them. It was horrendous. Never saw either of them so stressed. A friend also tried one with hers to similar effect. Hers was really young as well when she was trying it.

maybe try one first?
Click to expand...
Were they kittens when they first had a harness on? Mine wilbe v young, only 8 weeks! Baby!
 
Justsayno

Justsayno

Well-known member
Voice said:
We tried a harness on both of ours when we first got them. It was horrendous. Never saw either of them so stressed. A friend also tried one with hers to similar effect. Hers was really young as well when she was trying it.

maybe try one first?
Click to expand...
We tried him from a few months old. He belly crawls at speed all the way back inside. Luckily i picked it up at a thrift shop.
 
lifestooshort123

lifestooshort123

Well-known member
I think they're either indoor cats or they're not and to deny a cat the freedom of the great outdoors would've made me very sad. My son has 2 Maine Coons - one is scared to go out, shoots under the nearest bush and then barrels back indoors. The other, Mr Waffles, is the opposite and is a familiar big-cat sighting in the dusk. They understand the risks of letting him out but the yowling when he's kept in is unbearable! He's not a birder or mouser so the effects on local wildlife are minimal.
 
Wait...What?

Wait...What?

Well-known member
Waitcat was an indoor cat for at least the last six months before she came to us (was dumped on previous owner by a 'friend').

She isn't now and trying to keep her in is futile. DS wanted her kept in once so she was easy to find for a vet's appointment. Last sighting was an arse in the open downstairs toilet window...

She is a bit of a serial killer although thankfully it's mainly mice which breed like tribbles anyway. She does murder the odd small songbird which I don't like. Why she doesn't want to wear the skins of pigeons or magpies is beyond me.
 
Planthedgeandtree

Planthedgeandtree

Well-known member
Wait...What? said:
She is a bit of a serial killer although thankfully it's mainly mice which breed like tribbles anyway. She does murder the odd small songbird which I don't like. Why she doesn't want to wear the skins of pigeons or magpies is beyond me.
Click to expand...
Why can't we train them to ignore small birds but exterminate rats, mice and the odd pigeon?

And people we don't like? Now that would be vair useful.
 
Horses Gallore

Horses Gallore

Well-known member
Justsayno said:
My first cat used to leave me bird heads on the front door mat :sick:
Click to expand...
My first cat used to bring home live baby bunnies in the spring time. They were always unharmed, apart from totally traumatised of course, and I used to get the job of taking them to the end of the street where we could reach the fields behind us and let them go. I doubt they actually survived.
 
Bellarosa

Bellarosa

Well-known member
My previous cat, which I inherited after my mum passed away, was a big bruiser who used to catch rabbits and pigeons. He even brought us a moorhen once which we rescued but which scratched my husband with its big chicken feet as he took it out of the garden!
My current smallish female cat can catch mice, which amazes me because she is so clumsy. She still manages to stand on her tail when trying to get up and looks baffled as to why she can’t move and she is 5 🤣
 
Justsayno

Justsayno

Well-known member
Bellarosa said:
My current smallish female cat can catch mice, which amazes me because she is so clumsy. She still manages to stand on her tail when trying to get up and looks baffled as to why she can’t move and she is 5 🤣
Click to expand...
Huh - that's interesting, about the clumsiness. I've had 2 small female cats and both were able to climb on cluttered windowsills without knocking off anything. Coordinated and graceful. Now that I have an 18lb 1.5yo male, I've noticed the clumsiness but put it down to him being male and young (and I've cleared anything breakable from his path). He hasn't got to the point of anchoring himself by the tail, though 😁 I don't know if he can catch mice (and hopefully won't be in that position again) but he is an expert small spider hunter.
 
V

Voice

Well-known member
Our cat is useless with birds thankfully - just rabbits and mice which we have LOADS of as we are close to the allotments. He leaves body parts on the door mat or around the garden.

Our dog (a whippet) chases squirrels but never catches any. He is very good at eating flies, catching them mid air and even the odd spider, mosquito.
 
DinosaurChickens

DinosaurChickens

Well-known member
Bellarosa said:
My previous cat, which I inherited after my mum passed away, was a big bruiser who used to catch rabbits and pigeons. He even brought us a moorhen once which we rescued but which scratched my husband with its big chicken feet as he took it out of the garden!
My current smallish female cat can catch mice, which amazes me because she is so clumsy. She still manages to stand on her tail when trying to get up and looks baffled as to why she can’t move and she is 5 🤣
Click to expand...
This could be a description of Jem my old bruiser. Looking through the kitchen window I once watched him leap up from a concealed spot in long grass and take an adult male wood pigeon down mid low flight. He was an amazingly good and patient hunter. He never brought little things in, he was a stalker of big stuff and he ate it himself. Regularly found adult pigeon feathers in the garden. Think he made the adult wood pigeons his particular specialty.

lifestooshort123 said:
I think they're either indoor cats or they're not and to deny a cat the freedom of the great outdoors would've made me very sad. My son has 2 Maine Coons - one is scared to go out, shoots under the nearest bush and then barrels back indoors. The other, Mr Waffles, is the opposite and is a familiar big-cat sighting in the dusk. They understand the risks of letting him out but the yowling when he's kept in is unbearable! He's not a birder or mouser so the effects on local wildlife are minimal.
Click to expand...
Are Maine Coons particularly known for terrorism though? I thought they were the good citizens of big cat world. My ex sister out law is a massive cat person does cat rescue and feline psychology and she said the Bengals were the notorious criminals. She had one that kept coming into her garden and terrorizing her regular domestic tabbies because he was bored and left to roam about all day.
I'm no expert on this at all but I definitely remember her saying that Bengals are the breed nobody should get who isn't willing to build a big cattery and have them properly sectioned off from the general bird and domestic cat population.
She seemed to think other big breeds of cat were more or less OK because they had a much lower prey drive and were less genetically wild than Bengals.
I found it all really interesting. Cats are not my thing, but I really enjoy hearing what other people say and knowing about the different breeds and so on.
 
Last edited:
lifestooshort123

lifestooshort123

Well-known member
DinosaurChickens said:
This could be a description of Jem my old bruiser. Looking through the kitchen window I once watched him leap up from a concealed spot in long grass and take an adult male wood pigeon down mid low flight. He was an amazingly good and patient hunter. He never brought little things in, he was a stalker of big stuff and he ate it himself. Regularly found adult pigeon feathers in the garden. Think he made the adult wood pigeons his particular specialty.


Are Maine Coons particularly known for terrorism though? I thought they were the good citizens of big cat world. My ex sister out law is a massive cat person does cat rescue and feline psychology and she said the Bengals were the notorious criminals. She had one that kept coming into her garden and terrorizing her regular domestic tabbies because he was bored and left to roam about all day.
I'm no expert on this at all but I definitely remember her saying that Bengals are the breed nobody should get who isn't willing to build a big cattery and have them properly sectioned off from the general bird and domestic cat population.
She seemed to think other big breeds of cat were more or less OK because they had a much lower prey drive and were less genetically wild than Bengals.
I found it all really interesting. Cats are not my thing, but I really enjoy hearing what other people say and knowing about the different breeds and so on.
Click to expand...
They've generally found the MC's to be sedate and regal. When I said they're aware of the risks in letting him out, I really meant the fear of catnapping which seems to be on the up, very sad.
 
DinosaurChickens

DinosaurChickens

Well-known member
lifestooshort123 said:
They've generally found the MC's to be sedate and regal. When I said they're aware of the risks in letting him out, I really meant the fear of catnapping which seems to be on the up, very sad.
Click to expand...
Maine Coon cats are so utterly beautiful I can see why unscrupulous people would be tempted to steal them and nicer people would be tempted to believe they 'want to stay' because food or fuss. But being tempted ought always be tempered by knowing how much pain and sadness it would cause to the person who loves them. I like to believe that most people are good like that and not only wouldn't do it, but would intervene if they saw it happening.
I hope your son and his cats are surrounded by people of the kindest and best sort and that they stay safe. x DC
 
lifestooshort123

lifestooshort123

Well-known member
DinosaurChickens said:
Maine Coon cats are so utterly beautiful I can see why unscrupulous people would be tempted to steal them and nicer people would be tempted to believe they 'want to stay' because food or fuss. But being tempted ought always be tempered by knowing how much pain and sadness it would cause to the person who loves them. I like to believe that most people are good like that and not only wouldn't do it, but would intervene if they saw it happening.
I hope your son and his cats are surrounded by people of the kindest and best sort and that they stay safe. x DC
Click to expand...
Thank you DC x
 
lifestooshort123

lifestooshort123

Well-known member
Planthedgeandtree said:
I saw a half Maine coon and it looked majestic.

🙌Great news: the rat catcher king has given the house the all clear! 🐀 He has posted leaflets round to all the relevant neighbours and said that people should openly discuss a rat problem in your area. Well, his van displayed the firm's name in big letters! No good being all coy about it. Now to pay the bill...
Click to expand...
Hooray! Now it's kitty time!
 
Top