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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2005Mouse euthanasia
Digger has somehow learned to catch mice. He was a pet store kitten who was abandoned when it became time to pay for getting him fixed, and he's been an indoor cat all his life except for brief supervised yard visits so he's never had a chance to exercise his rodentophile aspects. Well, the new house has mice in the grass... And Digger's demonstrating a previously-undiscovered talent. I figure out what's up when he runs into the house with a furry bundle in his mouth. After I extricate him from under whatever piece of furniture he chose this time I make him give me the mouse. Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. But they're hardly in good shape. They just sort of lie there and quiver... I don't want to leave them to die slowly, and I don't want to let Digger strew pieces all over the rug, either. Are they just playing, well, possum, or do they need to be assisted into mousie heaven? And if so, **how** ??? > And if so, **how** ??? The most humane way would be either to sever the head or to crush it, if you're not squeamish.  SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com >The most humane way would be either to sever the head or to crush it, if >you're not squeamish. Ummmm hmmmm _how_ much blood is inside a mouse? Maybe I'll build a little guillotine... Etape ici, Monsieur Souris... Or...a tiny electric chair... Poor mice. I really wish he wouldn't do this... >>The most humane way would be either to sever the head or to crush it, if >>you're not squeamish. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Poor mice. I really wish he wouldn't do this... Depending upon the condition of the mouse, when any of mine brought one in, I'd either release it outside, or put both cat AND mouse outside and let the cat finish the job! (Fortunately the problem seldom arose - my cats were much more eficient than that - the mouse was usually thoroughly dead before they brought it in.) > I don't want to leave them to die slowly, and I don't want > to let Digger strew pieces all over the rug, either. Are they just > playing, well, possum, or do they need to be assisted into mousie > heaven?/// When i have had to kill rodents, I've found that the most effective way is to get something like a hefty handle of a screw driver and wallop them very hard on the head. It's pretty unpleasant to have to do, but pretty much instantaneous. Helen M >> I don't want to leave them to die slowly, and I don't want >> to let Digger strew pieces all over the rug, either. Are they just [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Helen M I've not had to kill a mouse as my cats seem pretty good at chomping them. Sometimes they get a rat that is a little bit too much for them and bring it into the kitchen (hey, thanks!) alive, but needs despatching as very injured. I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall of my house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to steel myself. It is probably dead by then but at least unconscious so I drop it into a bucket of water to make sure. I would probably do the same thing for a mouse if I had to, although fortunately it's not necessary as my cats always kill and eat them. Tweed Gore stripped Good grief, they're rodents. Hamsters are rodents. The best way to euthanise hamsters is to freeze them. I suspect the same might be true for mice. I googled "euthanize rodent mouse" and this was the second hit, has a discussion about putting pet mice to sleep and whether hitting them on head is inhuman after all. (It's not, it's just gross to us.) Internet Infidels thread on pet mouse euthanasia: http://www.iidb.org/vbb/archive/index.php/t-35969.html HLS > Gore stripped ?? > Good grief, they're rodents. Hamsters are rodents. The best way to > euthanise hamsters is to freeze them. I suspect the same might be true > for mice. Are you talking about freezing them alive? Shame if you are. Humans could be euthanised by putting them in a freezer and shutting the lid! > I googled "euthanize rodent mouse" and this was the second hit, has a > discussion about putting pet mice to sleep and whether hitting them on > head is inhuman after all. (It's not, it's just gross to us.) It's up to you what you do if your cat catches a wild mouse and leaves it alive, twitching and suffering. You can go to bed and ignore it and hope it's dead in the morning or you can bash it on a brick which is difficult and upsetting but the right thing to do. Tweed > It's up to you what you do if your cat catches a wild mouse and leaves it > alive, twitching and suffering. You can go to bed and ignore it and hope > it's dead in the morning or you can bash it on a brick which is difficult > and upsetting but the right thing to do. This is true. And why I will never again use a mouse trap, because they can get caught across the body and really suffer before you find them and have to put them out of their misery. Allowing a creature to suffer is less gory but purely evil if done just because you "can't stand the gore" of putting it out of its misery. > Are you talking about freezing them alive? Shame if you are. Humans could > be euthanised by putting them in a freezer and shutting the lid! Well, there have been plenty of stories about humans dying from cold that say it's a very peaceful way to go as you fall asleep at a fairly early stage. That's why, if you are ever lost in a blizzard, you should *not* lie down and rest for 'just a minute'. The tiredness might be a sign that your body temperature is dropping dangerously. What you should do is stay in shelter, improvise shelter, or keep going. SignatureCheryl -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- From: Cheryl Perkins <cperkins@mun.ca> >Well, there have been plenty of stories about humans dying from cold that >say it's a very peaceful way to go as you fall asleep at a fairly early >stage. That's why, if you are ever lost in a blizzard, you should *not* >lie down and rest for 'just a minute'. The tiredness might be a sign that >your body temperature is dropping dangerously. That's a rather dangerous myth that you're perpetuating. As anyone who has ever been camping in arctic conditions will tell you, you DO NOT just go to sleep and freeze to death. There are three basic conditions of cold weather physiology: 1) You feel the cold. (No ploblem,,,take a nap if you're tired) 2) Shivering (not good, seek warmth and shelter) 3) You've stopped shivering, but have not warmed up at all.. **DANGER** In condition (1), if you sleep, you will wake up shivering if you start getting cold (Anyone who had gotten cold on a camping trip knows this) In condition (2), you're not going to sleep...I assure you. In condition (3), you've gone over the edge and you're in deep s**t. At that point, your body is starting to shut down and you WILL lose consciousness and die if you don't warm up immediately. And it will feel like you are just going to sleep. But there are many time when in condition (1), the BEST thing you can do is is find the most sheltered spot you can and take a nap. This helps you conserve energy that you will need to survive and a little sleep will keep you alert when you wake up. But if you start getting too cold in your sleep, YOU WILL WAKE UP. I gotta wonder how many people have died in cold weather by believing the "don't go to sleep" myth. *-----------------------------* RPCA CERTIFIED TROLL *-----------------------------* >>Gore stripped > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Are you talking about freezing them alive? Shame if you are. Humans could > be euthanised by putting them in a freezer and shutting the lid! Well, that's probably true. (Actually, freezing to death is supposed to be relatively painless - one simply gets very sleepy, and if not rescued in time, never wakes up again.) > Good grief, they're rodents. Hamsters are rodents. The best way to > euthanise hamsters is to freeze them. I suspect the same might be true for > mice. Freeze them? Do you have any idea how painful it is to have extremities begin to freeze? > Internet Infidels thread on pet mouse euthanasia: > http://www.iidb.org/vbb/archive/index.php/t-35969.html I like the idea of suffocating them with dry ice, CO2 poisoning is supposed to be painless. SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com >> Good grief, they're rodents. Hamsters are rodents. The best way to >> euthanise hamsters is to freeze them. I suspect the same might be true for >> mice. > Freeze them? Do you have any idea how painful it is to have extremities > begin to freeze? It's painful when they begin to thaw. SignatureCheryl >> Good grief, they're rodents. Hamsters are rodents. The best way to >> euthanise hamsters is to freeze them. I suspect the same might be true >> for mice. > > Freeze them? Do you have any idea how painful it is to have extremities > begin to freeze? I can't remember where I heard that, but I do know for hamsters when it gets really cold their systems shut down slowly. In fact, back in the late 1980s, I recall where someone had done this to her son's hamster -- don't know where she got that original advice -- but it was on a talk show that she and her son came out because she put the hamster in a paper sack and put him in the freezer, as instructed, and the next morning when she went downstairs to "check" on him, out he popped, bright as a button. He had apparently "come to" while in the deep freeze and munched his way through several bags of frozen veggies. Now what is really interesting about this is that they claim the hamster lived much later than their normal life expectancy of 1000 days (approx. 3 years). So did the deep freeze cause the hamster to go into suspended animation? I didn't even remember this incident until I read this thread but I am going to google it and see if I can find anything about it. HLS Found the link about "Bud the Hamster": http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/webstuff/poetrymine/Bud.html HLS > I like the idea of suffocating them with dry ice, CO2 poisoning is > supposed to be painless. Do you know the price of dry ice? A brick or a broom stick is much cheaper. As for the co2 poisoning being painless unless the people who say that have tried it they don't really know - it could be painful. And no I'm not suggesting that you try it if for some reason you think that. > I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall of my > house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to steel myself. It OMG!!! I just pictured this sweet lady smacking rats against the wall! Couldn't help but smile... :) SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com >> I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall of my >> house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to steel myself. >> It > > OMG!!! I just pictured this sweet lady smacking rats against the wall! > Couldn't help but smile... :) I only do it to end their suffering if the cats got them and didn't finish them off. I hate it. I'm mainly sweet but if necessary I have a steely core to do what needs to be done. I'm not going to take the rats to the vet to be put down at 20 dollars each now am I? :-) Tweed >>> I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall >>> of my house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Tweed I did that with a hamster. One Sunday evening about 10 years ago, Smokey (RB) came in through the cat flap carrying a hamster in his mouth. I took it away from him and saw he'd injured it, so I called the vet who said he'd meet me at the surgery. Unfortunately the hamsters spine was damaged and he had to be PTS. I never did find out where the hamster came from, despite trying. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>>> I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall >>>> of my house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > had to be PTS. I never did find out where the hamster came from, despite > trying. I couldn't kill an injured hamster, I would definitely have to take it to the vet too. Tweed >>>>> I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the >>>>> wall of my house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Tweed The only time I've had to put an animal out of its misery was 20 years ago. My great aunt's cat, Benny, had caught a baby rabbit and torn off one of its back legs. I couldn't kill it directly so I put it behind the wheel of the car and backed over it. Under the circumstances I think it was the quickest and best way, but I still hated doing it. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>> I take the rat by the end of its tail and swing it towards the wall of my >>> house so it breaks its skull. I hate doing it and have to steel myself. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Tweed Christina the Rat Smacker ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never seen one in the same spot I put him, so I asume some have actually survived. > When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back > outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never > seen one in the same spot I put him, so I asume some have actually > survived. The only time my cats cornered a mouse in our kitchen, I grabbed it and took it outside. I swear to Bast - I put that mouse down in the garden, it clutched its chest and keeled over backwards. An hour late it was gone - I think it had just fainted! Fi, who can't bring herself to kill anything - except bugs (and even then I feel guilty) >> When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back >> outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >who can't bring herself to kill anything - except bugs (and even then I feel >guilty) I once grabbed a stunned little mousie by the tail, marched it around the block, and dropped it into someone's garden, Lord forgive me. It came around while he was hanging there, and loudly expressed his indignation (he all but shook tiny little fists at me). I really didn't want to make him someone else's problem, but I wanted him to have a chance. I came back in, and let me tell you, I washed that hand for a LONG time. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > >> When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back > >> outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > have a chance. I came back in, and let me tell you, I washed that > hand for a LONG time. Lol - I scooped mine into a clear plastic container - didn't have to touch him at all. Fi > >> When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back > >> outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > have a chance. I came back in, and let me tell you, I washed that > hand for a LONG time. There is a cartoon captioned "Making the best of a bad situation." It shows a gigantic owl swooping down on a mouse. The mouse is giving the owl a raised finger. Years ago, in labs, we euthanized mice with ether. I suspect that quite a number of solvents would have a similar effect. Mostly, I have flushed them. On one occasion, when I opened a cabinet door and found one gnawing on groceries, I rather reflexively punched it. That was sufficient. >> >> When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back >> >> outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >door and found one gnawing on groceries, I rather reflexively punched >it. That was sufficient. Oh my! We have Christina the Rat Whacker and Howard the Mouse Puncher. Someone should do a graphic novel. ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War >>> >> When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back >>> >> outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Oh my! We have Christina the Rat Whacker and Howard the Mouse > Puncher. Someone should do a graphic novel. ;) <g> In my defence let me tell you about the first time I had to do it. It was somewhat of an emergency.. I had a large wooden box with a wire netting roof in a shed near the house which contained a broody hen and her new chicks. I was feeding them one day when I noticed some rat droppings and the corner of the box had been chewed too. Large rats think nothing of killing even up to half grown poultry so I set a break-back trap on top of a bale of compressed wood shaving next to the broody box. The following evening at dusk I had the kitchen window open and I heard the trap go off, BANG! I went out after a few minutes and found a really big old grandaddy rat lying there, next to the trap, but not actually in it. I looked at him closely, couldn't see any sign of life so I decided he must have pulled back but still got a fatal head injury. I picked him up by the end of his tail to dispose of the body. Which was when he suddenly came alive again.. So there I was holding a very large, very annoyed rat which was climbing up his own body in order to get to my hand to bite it. I had about 1 second to decide what to do. I knew if I dropped him I would never catch him again, he would be too wily, and therefore he would definitely gnaw into the box and get the chicks and maybe their mother too. That's when I did my very first rat whack. It shocked me to have to do such a thing and I cried afterwards. Silly. Tweed > When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back > outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never > seen one in the same spot I put him, so I asume some have actually > survived. That's what I did. I don't really know if the mouse recovered and escaped or was quickly located (dead or alive) by one of the numerous outside cats. It wasn't in the same spot when I checked a short time later. This is a situation which hasn't arisen very often. My cats have managed to obtain mice only three times in about 15 years, and two of those were, let's say, not in any condition to recover whatever anyone did well before I came on the scene. I used to think the cats had no hunting skills whatsoever, and were keeping mice out of an old house that is impossible to mouse-proof by scent, or possibly by sheer strength of personality. Eventually, they did provide me with three pieces of evidence that mice were still getting it, and they were able to catch them. Maybe the mice are getting more careless or something; it seems odd that there would have been no sign of mice for so many years, and now that the cats are getting a bit older and slower, they've managed to account for three. SignatureCheryl >>When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back >>outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > been no sign of mice for so many years, and now that the cats are getting > a bit older and slower, they've managed to account for three. What makes you think they didn't simply destroy the "evidence" as a tasty snack, most of the time? > What makes you think they didn't simply destroy the > "evidence" as a tasty snack, most of the time? They're messy eaters. Certainly, they didn't eat one of the deceased mice I spotted very neatly or even completely. And one of them is a 'chronic vomiter' (vet's description) who is especially likely to hurk when she's just gobbled down something particularly tasty. She's never hurked up a mouse - hairballs, canned cat food, human food, grass, sure, but no mouse bits. I supppose it is possible they've been snacking on mice on the sly, but I don't think it's all that likely. Not *many* mice, anyway. I would have noticed. I'm happy as long as I don't see a single mouse dropping in the house (which I haven't) or any mice (well, I'ev *almost* managed that one). SignatureCheryl >> What makes you think they didn't simply destroy the >> "evidence" as a tasty snack, most of the time? [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I'm happy as long as I don't see a single mouse dropping in the house > (which I haven't) or any mice (well, I'ev *almost* managed that one). Ours devour the mice, but once in a while they seem to be compelled to arrange some of the innards on the doorstep. Probably a gift, but it looks like some sort of mini satanic ritual.. Jo >>> What makes you think they didn't simply destroy the >>> "evidence" as a tasty snack, most of the time? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >Jo Stinky is such a quirky little hunter. He mainly sees them as toys and they're mostly no damn use to him dead. He puts them in my shoes-- I'm not sure if it's a gift, a form of disposal, or an appeal for help ("Fix it, Mommy.") Every so often he will eat one, but I usually get a kickback of a mouse butt. ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > Ours devour the mice, but once in a while they seem to be compelled to > arrange some of the innards on the doorstep. Probably a gift, but it looks > like some sort of mini satanic ritual.. Nikki would always bring her voles to show me before she ate them. I think she was giving me first refusal. I always thanked her profusely and said, "I'm full, so go on, you eat it." And she usually did. SignatureMarina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > When the cats bring a mouse inside the house, I just put it back > outside in the garden and let nature take it's course. I have never > seen one in the same spot I put him, so I asume some have actually > survived. ....Or the cat found it again, and finished the job! But I agree - in such cases it's best to let nature take its course. We all know cats are hunters and mice are part of their natural prey - if we have difficulty accepting that, perhaps we should choose dogs as our companion animals, instead. > ....Or the cat found it again, and finished the job! But I agree - > in such cases it's best to let nature take its course. We all know > cats are hunters and mice are part of their natural prey - if we > have difficulty accepting that, perhaps we should choose dogs as our > companion animals, instead. After all, dogs are vegetarians ... Wait, what now? My dog, sweet as he was, did quite a bit of damage to the few possums foolish enough to play dead in our yard. Blood everywhere. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >>....Or the cat found it again, and finished the job! But I agree - >>in such cases it's best to let nature take its course. We all know [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > After all, dogs are vegetarians ... Well, no, of course not - but dogs have been dmesticated much longer than cats, and are pack animals. If their person (aka the "leader" of the pack) teaches them certain behaviour is unacceptable, they refrain (usually). When it comes to hunting, all you can teach a cat is "Don't let me CATCH you doing....." > I don't want to leave them to die slowly, and I don't want >to let Digger strew pieces all over the rug, either. Are they just >playing, well, possum, or do they need to be assisted into mousie >heaven? > > And if so, **how** ??? Use the mouse's head to trip an armed mouse trap. It doesn't have to be baited, just stick the mouse in so its nose disturbs the trigger. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for > an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. But [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > And if so, **how** ??? The suggestions of breaking or crushing the skull or freezing the mouse to death seem cruel. In any event, I noticed that someone who routinely killed mice, quite a few, every day, used to do it quickly with a twist of his fingers by breaking the neck. It was extremely quick and that was that. This was in a surgical medical research unit. Personally, I thought it was gross and if I had to kill a mouse, I would use ether. Let the mousie drift off to sleep forever more. It's really too simple. Just some ether on a gauze and that's that. Same thing as giving a person too much anesthetic. Recently I noticed someone who would drown the mouse in a small sink of water. I prefer ether but that's probably difficult to get depending on where you are. >> Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for >> an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. But [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > small sink of water. I prefer ether but that's probably difficult to get > depending on where you are. How about "flushing" it? >>> Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for >>>an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. But [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > How about "flushing" it? I don't think drowning in a whirlpool is particularly fast or painless! >> How about "flushing" it? >> > I don't think drowning in a whirlpool is particularly fast or painless! I don't know either, but my mum has a friend who nearly drowned when she was a child. She says it was a wonderful experience. She felt a sort of euphoria at the moment of drowning. Of course, I don't know if mice can feel euphoria. ;o) SignatureMarina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > >> How about "flushing" it? > >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > euphoria at the moment of drowning. Of course, I don't know if mice can > feel euphoria. ;o) Hmm - so autoerotic asphixiation would be a humane way to kill a mouse. What I'd worry about when flushing is that the mouse may not drown immediately, but suffer a prolonged and painful death. The outgoing pipes of a house are designed to pull in air, usually from a "mudstack" that goes to the roof. What the mouse would experience may be more like a waterslide than a submerging. What I've done with mice in the past is smother them with alcohol. Rubbing alcohol, or even liquor will work. I picked this up in Biology class for killing insect specimens, and first used it when I was little, on a mouse that was mortally wounded by its brother. I remember I did it quickly, efficiently, and emotionlessly, and then when I was left holding this lifeless body, I dropped it and went crying to my mother, who held me and comforted me, although she had no idea what had suddenly gotten into me. > The suggestions of breaking or crushing the skull or freezing the mouse > to death seem cruel. In any event, I noticed that someone who routinely > killed mice, quite a few, every day, used to do it quickly with a twist > of his fingers by breaking the neck. It was extremely quick and that > was that. This was in a surgical medical research unit. Personally, I > thought it was gross and if I had to kill a mouse, I would use ether. It may be more "humane", but how many people have ether handy in their medicine cabinets? (Or chloroform, or any similar substance?) "Gross" or not, a crushed skull is as quick as anything, and a mouse skull is very small and fragile, when a human wielding a hammer does the job. Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than a rat or mouse or bird. > Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? > My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than > a rat or mouse or bird. Why does that not surprise me? Candace > > Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? > > My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Candace The last mouse my cat caught I decided to let things take its course because the mouse appeared comatose, on its back, with its four tiny legs in the air. Much to my suprise and my cat's, the mouse suddenly inflated with life and disappeared between a never seen crack between the floor and the wall. I was amused but not if the mouse got caught in the wall and that is an unpleasant smell and thought. It's been a while and no more mice or birds which is fine. Common mice or English sparrows I don't care that much about. But if she were to catch a robin or other native bird, that would be upsetting. Fortunately, she does not have refined tastes and well, I think she got all the mice, shrews, voles, and sparrows within her small homestead. Since she does not like to travel, things look good. I also think she's starting to mature and not love the hunt anymore. She used to live a feral life and apparently lived off sparrows and mice. She does not strew body parts around. Things are devoured in two bites. Amazing and scary. But it's funny when I opened the door and zoom, a poor mouse was right in the driveway. The little thing never had a chance. And it can work both ways. There are moderate sized hawks around and even Great Horned Owls which can take a 11.1 pound cat. Somehow she knows about this and does not like things flying in the sky above her. >> Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? >> My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Candace I am reminded why, 223rem is in my killfile. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > > Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? > > My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than > > a rat or mouse or bird. > > Why does that not surprise me? He posted pictures of dead rodents one time. > > > Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? > > > My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > He posted pictures of dead rodents one time. Exactly, I recall it well. :( Candace >Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? Because they can catch parasites and other infections from wild mice, can't they? Besides, I don't want mouse insides all over my house. I wish I could teach Digger about "Catch and Release"... > Why dont you let the cat have her fun with the mouse/rat? > My cats' enjoyment is vastly more important to me than > a rat or mouse or bird. Well, that IS "allowing nature to take its course", but I'd prefer not to have to WATCH! I usually deal with the situation by putting the mouse or rat outdoors, and releasing the bird (if it is capable of flight - if not, better to let the cat finish the job). > I don't want to leave them to die slowly, and I don't want > to let Digger strew pieces all over the rug, either. Are they just > playing, well, possum, No. If the mouse does not get up and run away in less than a minute, you need to kill it. >or do they need to be assisted into mousie > heaven? > > And if so, **how** ??? Snap-type mouse trap, or your foot. Basically put the edge of your shoe down between the head and the body, while holding the tail, so that it severs the spine and spinal cord at the cervical vertebrae, and then just press down with a little pressure to ensure you complete the deed. Or you can apply more pressure and crush its skull, but doing so is gross. I had to kill two rats my dogs got to ,once on a hike. Horrible experience. -L. > Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for > an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. But [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > And if so, **how** ???>>. They play possum or are in shock. Unless you can see obvious injuries, I would take them back outside. Alison >> Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for >> an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >injuries, I would take them back outside. > Alison Yes, they are stunned. Cats technique is often to stun their prey with a blow of the paw. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War >>> Well, the mice don't _look_ seriously hurt, I mean, except for >>> an occasional tail-tip there dont' seem to be any pieces missing. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Yes, they are stunned. Cats technique is often to stun their prey >with a blow of the paw. I once saw the family cat pounce onto an unwary pigeon, and got the bird away from the cat before it could do more than lose a few feathers. It was unconscious, but seemed uninjured, so I put it up in the fork of a tree. It came to in a few minutes and flew away. Since the missing feathers were in the middle of its back, not near the head, I suspect that it fainted rather than being knocked out by the cat. |
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