The Logic Behind the Use of Cats for Rodent Control
It is understandable that many people would mistakenly believe that a cat solves all rodent issues. After all, there is a natural enmity between cats and mice and mice tend to respond negatively to the presence of a cat. But there are a few things that people who use their cats for mice eradication don’t realize. While cats are typically natural predators for animals like rodents or birds, they aren’t always in the mood to hunt. In fact, according to one conservation biologist Peter Marra, ‘some cats don’t kill anything and some cats kill twenty animals a week’. This means that your cat may be the docile, non-killing type in which case using her for rodent control just won’t work.The Dangers of Using Your Cat to Solve Your Rodent Problem
When you put your cat outside you are exposing your pet to a number of dangers. Chief among these dangers is the predators that may be lurking nearby to attack the poor cat. These predators include dogs, coyotes, and even raccoons. When your cat encounters wildlife animals she is exposed to the diseases carried by these animals and may get sick or even pass the disease on to you and your family. These diseases include Toxoplasmosis, the notorious bacteria that has given rise to the warning for pregnant women to avoid cat litter. She may also get fleas or ticks or Lyme Disease from these encounters. In addition to predators, your cat may be ill-equipped to handle the wildness of the outdoors. Remember that cats have been largely domesticated and as a result, many don’t have the instinctive responses that they would have in the wild. Imagine the heartache you’d feel if your poor cat got hit by a passing vehicle because you let her outside to hunt mice.
But let’s say your cat is the aggressive hunting type, releasing her outdoor can cause other problems. There’s no way to guarantee that the cat will only target mice. She may very well set sights on other wildlife such as birds. She may even end up attacking pets in the community, especially if your neighbours have pet cats. And for most cats, the larger Norway rat is simply too overwhelming to approach so those rodents may still remain problematic in the space despite the presence of a cat. Also it is unlikely that your cat will be able to keep up with the reproduction rate of rodents.
Releasing your cat from the leash so she can chase mice inside is never a good idea. When the cat gets agitated and starts running around to get to the mouse she won’t really stop to avoid knocking over your precious glassware. You may wind up with a lot of damaged property and to make matters worse, the cat may not even catch the mouse.
Loading...
