What breed of cat is best at catching mice?

When it comes to catching mice, no innovative device can compare with a smart house cat. Fluffy pets have won the love of humans thanks to their ability to destroy rodents. Today, breeders keep cats for the hobby, so pets usually lead a passive lifestyle. For people living in rural areas and having a subsidiary farm, it is important that the cat knows how to catch mice and rats. Rodents periodically appear in every country house and are capable of destroying food and causing diseases. Which cats are better at catching mice, and which breeds are not suitable for hunting?

The role of living conditions

The hunting instinct is present in cats, regardless of variety and gender. To test your skill, you need to scratch your finger across the floor and observe the pet’s behavior. The faster the animal reacts to the sound, the stronger the hunting instinct is. If the cat immediately rushes to the hand, it will be good at catching mice.

Pets living in an apartment and not walking in the yard can catch a mouse, but they will not kill or eat the pest. Animals with the appropriate instinct feed on mice, which can only be taught to a kitten by a mother mousetrap. Animals that grew up in villages or on the street are better at catching rodents, because from childhood they know what a mouse is and how to behave with it. For outdoor cats, hunting is the main way of obtaining food.

Ratcatcher cats for rent: where to find, cost

Buying a real rat catcher is quite difficult: you can be deceived for a lot of money. However, in some cities it is possible to rent a cat. You should know that ratcatcher cats are available for rent from breeders, many specialized nurseries, and animal and pet supply stores. After the rats are killed, the animal is returned.

For a cat, being in a new place with unfamiliar people can be stressful, so you cannot be sure that in such an environment he will catch rodents.

You can rent a ratcatcher cat

For this purpose, you can find a rat-catcher cat via the Internet, using message boards, for example, the site for finding part-time jobs YouDo, or specialized forums. There is no fixed price for such services; sometimes it is set depending on the cost of the cat itself. Typically, the price of such a service varies from 500 to 3 thousand rubles.

Forum participants generally have a negative attitude towards giving their animal to catch rats, since no one wants to create a stressful environment for the cat, and besides, this can be dangerous: the rats may already be poisoned.

The importance of a pet's appearance

Success in catching rodents depends on the conditions in which the kitten grew up and the appearance of the animal. Color plays a significant role, serving as natural camouflage. The most preferred are discreet fur coat colors: gray, black, brown. A cat with a motley or tortoiseshell color will blend into the surrounding landscape. The second significant point is the length of the coat. When wet, the long fur acquires a specific odor, which serves as a signal for rodents that a predator is approaching. Therefore, short-haired cats find it easier to hunt in the rain.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! When choosing a ratcatcher kitten, you need to pay attention to the whiskers . Thanks to the vibrissae, the pet navigates in the dark, picks up air vibrations, and estimates the distance to the mouse.

By what signs can you recognize a rat catcher?

A mousetrap cat is not a breed, but a rare skill that a pet develops due to the conditions of its keeping and upbringing. The best hunters are considered to be mongrel cats, who have had to hunt mice for food since childhood. Street animals are not spoiled by the attention and care of the owner, so the hunting instinct develops and is preserved for a maximum period.

The following signs will help you recognize a future rat catcher in a kitten:

if one of the parents is good at catching mice, by four months the skill will be transferred to the kitten;
female. Cats catch mice better than cats, which is associated with increased activity and fearlessness. To feed her offspring, the mother cat will get food in any way, so her hunting instinct is heightened;
head shape. Animals with a triangular oriental skull shape have greater potential for catching rats;
activity in the game. If a kitten runs after ribbons, toy mice and catches them with his teeth, he will make a good hunter;
physiological characteristics. The pet must be well built, have developed muscles, strong bones;
high ears with tassels. Allow the pet to track rustles and squeaks, which increases the likelihood of finding a target;
color feature. It is believed that the best hunters are tri-colored, tortoiseshell, and motley cats.

Features of care and maintenance

A real rat catcher can be raised from a small kitten. You just need to use some tips:

To maintain the hunting instinct, the animal should be given food in small portions at least 5-6 times a day. To prevent the cat from becoming lazy, it should not be overfed. Food should not be in the bowl all the time, but the cat should not be left hungry either, since the rat hunter will need strength to attack the rodents.
It is necessary to cultivate a hunting sense in the future rat catcher, praise and encourage him for any prey he catches: a bird, a mouse, a fly.
It is difficult for a person to raise a kitten to be a rodent hunter, and therefore there is no need to separate it from its mother cat for up to 5 months so that during this time she can teach him the necessary skills.
The pet must lead an active lifestyle; it requires not only toys in the form of balls, mice, bows, but also special play complexes.
The gaming complex will help your pet maintain an active lifestyle
Rat catchers need to be vaccinated against rabies to boost their immunity, since rats are aggressive animals. When cats receive wounds from rodents, the damaged areas must be carefully treated and consulted with a veterinarian.

Otherwise, the care and maintenance of rat catchers is no different from the care of ordinary cats.

Can neutered cats catch mice?

It is believed that spaying and castration does not affect the hunting skill of a pet. In practice, things are different. Such operations often have a negative impact on the animal’s behavior and physiological state. If you castrate a cat, the animal becomes lazy and passive, sleeps for a long time, not interested in what is happening around. Also, after castration, cats gain excess weight, which interferes with successful hunting. To ensure that the rat catcher does not lose his skills, after the operation the animal must be fed with suitable dietary food and stimulated to be active.

How does castration affect the hunting instinct?

Owners of apartments in urban high-rise buildings are not particularly concerned about the loss of hunting skills in their cat after sterilization. But for owners of private houses this topic is extremely relevant. How does the castration or sterilization procedure affect an animal’s ability to kill rodents?

The decision to neuter a cat will not greatly affect its hunting instincts. Cats before and after castration exterminate rats and mice in the territory entrusted to them with equal eagerness and skill. The exception is castrati who are overweight, which appears due to a sedentary lifestyle and too high-calorie diet. It is difficult for such pets to move, and their hunting skills are gradually reduced to zero.

Since the ability to hunt in cats is inherent at the level of instinct, it is difficult to influence it by sterilization. After the procedure, the animal may become less active and mobile, go out hunting less often, but this will not make the ability to track and catch a mouse disappear.

While cats often become fat and lazy after castration, spayed females, on the contrary, show more interest in hunting. Many cat owners claim that after their pet has become infertile, it goes hunting more often and brings its owners the trophies it catches. In addition, having lost interest in the opposite sex and not spending time and energy on bearing and feeding offspring, the cat directs all its energy to satisfying the hunting instinct.

In general, a tendency towards hunting and active games can be identified in an animal even in childhood. If, as a kitten, the pet is not distinguished by curiosity, nimbleness and activity, it is unlikely that in adulthood, especially after castration, it will be drawn to adventures. Typically, castrated cats become more obedient, calm and balanced.

Nutrition question

An animal that regularly hunts mice needs to be properly fed. The physical condition, strength, and endurance of the pet depend on the nutritional characteristics. Domestic cats rarely eat prey; more often they simply strangle the mouse. Only a street or hungry cat can eat a rodent.

The animal can be fed natural food or industrial feed. The main thing is that the pet eats suitable and healthy food that suppresses hunger, saturates the body with vitamins and minerals, and strengthens the animal’s immune system.

ON A NOTE! Most domestic cats catch mice for fun, but do not eat rodents.

Hunger is not a lady, it won’t bring you a pie (proverb)

Do cats eat mice? Surely yes, because why else would this perfect animal bother hunting if not for food? Therefore, if you do not give the cat food, it will hunt better. It sounds logical, and that’s why many owners make this mistake: “If I don’t feed it, I’ll catch more mice.”

In fact, a cat catches mice regardless of the feeling of hunger or satiety. It is not entirely clear, but many scientists believe that hunting is a kind of game for cats. She likes the process itself, she experiences joy after a successful hunt and is upset when she misses the prey. Do cats eat mice? Undoubtedly.

Domestic predators especially like common mice, shrews and voles. But cats simply kill moles and rats, but rarely eat them. By the way, a hungry cat is less successful in hunting, as it shows impatience. And such animals are more prone to wandering, because they do not feel a strong attachment to home and family: “They feel sorry for the milk, but should I come back here?”

Suitable breeds

The best mousecatchers are native cat breeds that appeared naturally and have not undergone significant transformation. Compared to artificially bred ones, hunting skills in such breeds have been developed over centuries, which has given the corresponding result.

Maine Coon

Maine Coon

Maine Coon cats are the best hunters of mice and rats. Maine Coons are distinguished by their large size and strength, which does not prevent them from gracefully jumping and chasing prey in hard-to-reach places. Maine Coons are gambling animals. A cat can chase a rat for hours, ignoring heat, cold, and rain. Thanks to its thick coat, the animal feels comfortable in the cold and can spend a long time outdoors. Large body sizes make it possible to destroy large rodents, which repel smaller rat catchers. Maine Coons prefer to spend time in the yard; country life is an ideal option for them.

Russian blue

Due to its compact size and aristocratic appearance, village house owners doubt the hunting skills of the Russian Blue cat. The lack of heavy weight is compensated by a quick reaction and the ability to move quietly around the yard. The Russian Blue cat tracks rodents of any size, which serves as the main entertainment for the pet. The cat's movements are graceful and precise, the speed of movement is amazing. The owners of Russian blue cats confirm that they hear any rustle and leave no chance for the mice to survive.

Sphinxes

Sphynxes, like Scottish Folds, are completely unsuited to catching mice. This is explained by many aspects of a cat's life.

Firstly, everyone knows that sphinxes have no fur, they are completely naked. And because of this, many owners do not let their pets go outside or even under the sofa, because it is easy for them to get hurt or damage their skin by picking up some kind of infection.
Secondly, nutrition plays the most important role in the life of the Sphinx. It should be balanced and healthy. Cats by nature want to eat a mouse, since it is fair-caught prey, but a sphinx is strictly forbidden to eat such a thing. The mouse could be sick or old, and if you eat one, you can get poisoned.
Thirdly, the environment in which the cat is located is also important for this breed. In cold weather, it is better for sphinxes not to sit on the floor, as they may catch a cold. And hunting involves long-term surveillance of your prey and sitting in ambush. In hot weather, on the contrary, the Sphynx may get sunburned or simply become ill from overheating.

Such cats are needed for beauty and home comfort, but not for catching mice.

Sphinxes are completely unsuited to catching mice

Other breeds

As a hunter for a private home, you can purchase the following breed of cats:

European Shorthair. Smart, active and inquisitive pets, distinguished by courage and bravery. The European Shorthair cat adapts to any weather conditions and is distinguished by its affectionate behavior. In the fight against rodents, animals have proven themselves to be ruthless killers.
European tabby. The color of the animal is similar to that of a tiger. Tabbies are distinguished by their strong structure and muscularity, have a strong, large head, sharp teeth and claws. The hunting instinct is inherent from birth, so they grow up to be excellent mousecatchers.
Turkish Angora. Cats of this breed have snow-white fur and blue eyes. Despite its defenseless appearance, the Turkish Angora tends to live in the yard and lead an active life. Thanks to fearlessness and curiosity, the pet effectively catches mice.

How to teach a cat to catch mice?

Mousecatchers are found among purebred and outbred cats. In order not to make a mistake, it is recommended to figure out in advance what criteria to choose a kitten by. Attention is paid not to the physical structure, color or breed, but to the parents. If the father or mother is good at catching mice, they will teach the kitten the skill. Therefore, you should first ask the owners how good hunters the parents were. A reasonable option is to go to the nearest village to pick up the kitten. Animals growing outside chase flies, butterflies and other insects, which develops the hunting instinct.

It is difficult to teach a domestic cat to hunt; the instinct must be developed from childhood. The owner needs to purchase appropriate toys, lined with fur, and constantly tease the kitten so that he runs after them. You should develop your pet's agility, reaction speed, coordination and endurance. To attract your pet's attention, the toy can be soaked in a decoction of catnip. As an alternative, you can catch the mouse and show the rodent to your pet. The kitten will interest her. You can only remove a mouse when the animal has had enough of playing with the pest and strangled it.

FACT! To teach a domestic cat to hunt, many owners limit their diet, which serves as an incentive to catch mice.

Tailed liberators of Leningrad

When all the cats in the besieged city were eaten in 1943, rats began to multiply at a catastrophic rate. They ran through the streets like a businessman in search of corpses, climbed into apartments, destroyed furniture and the last supplies.

The rodents were shot by special brigades and crushed by tanks, but the “rat troops” did not retreat. The city was saved by rat-catching cats of Russian and Siberian breeds. They were brought in trains from all over the country after the blockade was broken.

Today, two sculptures remind us of the four-legged liberators. One depicts the cat Vasilisa standing on the ledge, the second depicts the cat Elisha sitting opposite. St. Petersburg residents believe that whoever throws a coin on a cat pedestal will be lucky.

Recommendations

A hunting cat spends a lot of time outdoors, in contact with other animals, which increases the likelihood of infection and the development of diseases. To protect your pet from diseases, you need to remember the following rules:

the cat must be periodically vaccinated against potential diseases;
the pet needs to be fully fed and fortified with vitamin supplements, which will strengthen the immune system;
every 5 months, clean your pet of worms for the purpose of prevention;
the animal needs to buy a flea collar that prevents the spread of parasites;
in early spring, before a walk, it is recommended to treat your pet’s fur with protective sprays, since in May the likelihood of insect attacks increases.

For preventative purposes, you can take your cat to the veterinarian for examination once every six months.