Mouse/mice in kitchen?
12 September 2013, 01:51 AM
#32
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My misses hated cats. We had a real mouse problem and the odd rat too. I bought a ginger tom cat and trained him up with a ball of string. Now we have no rodent issues apart from the odd gift left for me, dead and ripped apart.
12 September 2013, 05:49 AM
#33
Don't get a cat, a lot of them, like the last bunch of cats I had actually bring them in as they think you'll like them.
I had a flat a few years ago and one would come in from the flat next to mine. We'd find holes in boxes and hear rustling during the night. At about 4am one morning I'd just had enough and turned my kitchen upside down, and found a gap behind the cooker where the pipes came in. I sealed it all up as best I could and put a trap on the pipe, and found a pack of old caramel biscuits under the cupboard that Mr Mouse probably loved the smell of. Next day there was a tail hanging out the back of the trap
.
I had a flat a few years ago and one would come in from the flat next to mine. We'd find holes in boxes and hear rustling during the night. At about 4am one morning I'd just had enough and turned my kitchen upside down, and found a gap behind the cooker where the pipes came in. I sealed it all up as best I could and put a trap on the pipe, and found a pack of old caramel biscuits under the cupboard that Mr Mouse probably loved the smell of. Next day there was a tail hanging out the back of the trap
.
12 September 2013, 12:21 PM
#35
Scooby Regular
Don't get a cat, a lot of them, like the last bunch of cats I had actually bring them in as they think you'll like them.
I had a flat a few years ago and one would come in from the flat next to mine. We'd find holes in boxes and hear rustling during the night. At about 4am one morning I'd just had enough and turned my kitchen upside down, and found a gap behind the cooker where the pipes came in. I sealed it all up as best I could and put a trap on the pipe, and found a pack of old caramel biscuits under the cupboard that Mr Mouse probably loved the smell of. Next day there was a tail hanging out the back of the trap.
I had a flat a few years ago and one would come in from the flat next to mine. We'd find holes in boxes and hear rustling during the night. At about 4am one morning I'd just had enough and turned my kitchen upside down, and found a gap behind the cooker where the pipes came in. I sealed it all up as best I could and put a trap on the pipe, and found a pack of old caramel biscuits under the cupboard that Mr Mouse probably loved the smell of. Next day there was a tail hanging out the back of the trap
.
12 September 2013, 01:24 PM
#36
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Use traps they should be fine. My neighbour had mice in his kitchen had taken 3 days to get rid of them.
He done extensive research and used the sticky pads and caught a couple using that. He placed them on his work top, around the floor etc.
Mice like wheatabix so use that as bait. Just leave a couple out around the sticky pads or traps.
You have done the right thing by placing a spoon of peanut butter on the traps thats should work. You can reuse the traps (assuming they havent caught any) What you need to do is isolate them to a specific location. If you trap one or two then continue to check every week or two. I suggest you do this for a long period (checking every week or 2 weeks) because the mice family then to travel in multiples (7-10) so do expect more even if you have caught one or two so far.
apparently if you have a hole the size of a pen then they can fit through that.
p.s. thinking about you may have pest control under your home insurance may worth checking if you do then let them do the job.
He done extensive research and used the sticky pads and caught a couple using that. He placed them on his work top, around the floor etc.
Mice like wheatabix so use that as bait. Just leave a couple out around the sticky pads or traps.
You have done the right thing by placing a spoon of peanut butter on the traps thats should work. You can reuse the traps (assuming they havent caught any) What you need to do is isolate them to a specific location. If you trap one or two then continue to check every week or two. I suggest you do this for a long period (checking every week or 2 weeks) because the mice family then to travel in multiples (7-10) so do expect more even if you have caught one or two so far.
apparently if you have a hole the size of a pen then they can fit through that.
p.s. thinking about you may have pest control under your home insurance may worth checking if you do then let them do the job.
12 September 2013, 05:47 PM
#38
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12 September 2013, 07:27 PM
#40
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good.
Cats don't need training to kill their targets. They're already trained by birth. I never intentionally trained my cats for that. They're ruthless hunters by nature.
Also, no one can hate something as cute as that>
12 September 2013, 07:41 PM
#42
The last boy cat I owned was a *** head, I'd only own female cats.
12 September 2013, 07:45 PM
#43
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They were all 3 females, and I've got another female cat now. At one point the runt of the litter brought a mouse in, and the mouse turned round, stood up on its back legs and practically kissed the cat. Cat just stood there.
The last boy cat I owned was a *** head, I'd only own female cats.
The last boy cat I owned was a *** head, I'd only own female cats.
12 September 2013, 09:43 PM
#45
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12 September 2013, 09:47 PM
#46
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12 September 2013, 10:01 PM
#47
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12 September 2013, 10:02 PM
#48
Scooby Regular
I live on the border of the countryside now off an estate, had mice when moved in around 14 months ago. Shortly after moving in got a pair of Maine Coon kittens, if you don't know what they are look them up. Normal cats tend to be a mixed bag with rats, trust me a pair of these things will keep any property vermin free. One of them has given Mr. Fox an absolute hiding too, never seen anything like it lol.
In rural Warwickshire when growing up we had mice make their way into the attic and cellar, our regular farm-type cats generally took care of them but we also had the odd monster rat. Only way to get rid of them was with a rimfire cellar-gun, either a .22 shotgun or a 9mm shotgun if it was a really big one. Probably not a good idea in the kitchen mind...
In rural Warwickshire when growing up we had mice make their way into the attic and cellar, our regular farm-type cats generally took care of them but we also had the odd monster rat. Only way to get rid of them was with a rimfire cellar-gun, either a .22 shotgun or a 9mm shotgun if it was a really big one. Probably not a good idea in the kitchen mind...
12 September 2013, 10:21 PM
#49
Just had a quick google of Maine Coon cat and I must admit being not a cat person at all, that is an awesome looking cat.
Mice and Rats are a big problem on the farm; baiting approx. 30 mouse and rat boxes routinely every month in order to keep the numbers down. As we keep poultry, there's not much we can do as they'll get into the sheds and in the muck regardless. When it comes to mucking out a chicken shed, we'll get about 50-100 mice run out once we're towards the back of the shed. Only thing we can do then is grab the shovels and hit.
Mice and Rats are a big problem on the farm; baiting approx. 30 mouse and rat boxes routinely every month in order to keep the numbers down. As we keep poultry, there's not much we can do as they'll get into the sheds and in the muck regardless. When it comes to mucking out a chicken shed, we'll get about 50-100 mice run out once we're towards the back of the shed. Only thing we can do then is grab the shovels and hit.
Last edited by LSherratt; 12 September 2013 at 10:23 PM.
12 September 2013, 10:41 PM
#50
Scooby Regular
Just had a quick google of Maine Coon cat and I must admit being not a cat person at all, that is an awesome looking cat.
Mice and Rats are a big problem on the farm; baiting approx. 30 mouse and rat boxes routinely every month in order to keep the numbers down. As we keep poultry, there's not much we can do as they'll get into the sheds and in the muck regardless. When it comes to mucking out a chicken shed, we'll get about 50-100 mice run out once we're towards the back of the shed. Only thing we can do then is grab the shovels and hit.
Mice and Rats are a big problem on the farm; baiting approx. 30 mouse and rat boxes routinely every month in order to keep the numbers down. As we keep poultry, there's not much we can do as they'll get into the sheds and in the muck regardless. When it comes to mucking out a chicken shed, we'll get about 50-100 mice run out once we're towards the back of the shed. Only thing we can do then is grab the shovels and hit.
Amazing what you said about the chickens by the way. One of my first memories of being on the farm was Mr Wyatt (the farmer) jumping up and down in his doc martens while loads of mice ran out from the back of a pen holding cattle. He must have got several dozen of them but he dejectedly told me it wouldn't make the damned bit of difference.
12 September 2013, 10:43 PM
#51
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've Goggled Maine Coon cat as well.
It can go humungous, I see!
That's the reason why I wouldn't get it. This thing will eat up all the inheritance I want to leave behind for my kids.
It can go humungous, I see!
That's the reason why I wouldn't get it. This thing will eat up all the inheritance I want to leave behind for my kids.
12 September 2013, 11:04 PM
#52
Scooby Regular
Well here's my wife with one of them who was about nine months old at the time. They keep growing until around four years!
Honestly they don't eat too much, certainly not compared to a Pyrrenean mountain dog anyway
Honestly they don't eat too much, certainly not compared to a Pyrrenean mountain dog anyway
12 September 2013, 11:21 PM
#54
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 48,539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow, your wife looks lovely, and your cat is adorable!
Good to know they don't burn hole in the pocket in terms of eating.
I know a lady this end who wants to sell her two mature Ragdoll cats to very caring homes only. Not that I can accommodate them due to already being a slave to my two cats. But I just wonder if Ragdolls are any good for catching mice. If so, I'll tell her to put that in her advert as one of the selling points.
13 September 2013, 12:00 AM
#56
Scooby Regular
Ragdolls are controversial because in many peoples' view they're not really a breed. They're related to the kittens of a cat owned by a very strange lady in the USA who believed her cat had been subjected to secret testing by the government which bestowed upon it incredible powers. She noticed that they had a tendency to flopping when picked up and grew to an unusually large size compared to the parents, one of which was a Persian. She took the unusual step of registering her cat as a breed through a society that she formed herself and generally stuck two fingers up at the American cat breed societies. Generally disillusioned she may have been but quite an astute entrepreneur!
They're very placid creatures and sometimes not very good interaction because of it. Think soft and pointy-eared sloth rather than "cat". They are incredibly docile and would make poor mousers. Despite their size they are also known poor at defending themselves against other animals, they're also not good outdoor cats for this reason. However they would be great to play with kids, you'd never see them take a swipe at one that's for sure.
We have another young Maine Coon to the silver boy about three weeks older who is very dominant. She's a good kilo heavier than the other at the moment and is a ruthless hunter. Also claimed her spot under the bush in garden from the local wildlife who had previously laid claim to it!
They're very placid creatures and sometimes not very good interaction because of it. Think soft and pointy-eared sloth rather than "cat". They are incredibly docile and would make poor mousers. Despite their size they are also known poor at defending themselves against other animals, they're also not good outdoor cats for this reason. However they would be great to play with kids, you'd never see them take a swipe at one that's for sure.
We have another young Maine Coon to the silver boy about three weeks older who is very dominant. She's a good kilo heavier than the other at the moment and is a ruthless hunter. Also claimed her spot under the bush in garden from the local wildlife who had previously laid claim to it!
Last edited by thenewgalaxy; 13 September 2013 at 12:10 AM. Reason: EFA
13 September 2013, 12:39 AM
#57
Scooby Regular
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pot Belly HQ
Posts: 16,694
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm guessing you mean the Pyrenean Mastiff. Like most giant breeds, they are fairly lazy and only eat the same amount as the average Golden Retreiver or Labrador.
13 September 2013, 01:04 AM
#58
Scooby Regular
Nope, definitely don't mean a Pyrenean mastiff that's a different breed.
Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Great Pyrenean is what we had. Not got the room for one where we currently live and to be honest don't see how one would fit into our family.
Gentle but stubborn and hugely territorial dogs. They can be hugely aggressive towards anything that comes onto their patch in the night I believe they were bred to protect people and livestock from wolves. Quite useful at scaring off people that stray onto your land in the night!
And by the way, they eat ****loads when they're pushing over 90Kg on the scales...
Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Great Pyrenean is what we had. Not got the room for one where we currently live and to be honest don't see how one would fit into our family.
Gentle but stubborn and hugely territorial dogs. They can be hugely aggressive towards anything that comes onto their patch in the night I believe they were bred to protect people and livestock from wolves. Quite useful at scaring off people that stray onto your land in the night!
And by the way, they eat ****loads when they're pushing over 90Kg on the scales...
13 September 2013, 11:11 AM
#59
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A guy at work has just bought a Maine coon, I'm sure he said it was £400!! And it's going to go through £25 of food every couple of days.
That adds up to a lot of peanut butter and traps.
That adds up to a lot of peanut butter and traps.
13 September 2013, 12:36 PM
#60
Scooby Regular
They eat about a third more than a normal cat. They're best fed on dry food with meat to top the diet up. Maine Coons are towards the longer age in terms of lifespan here in the UK and Europe, unusual for a larger breed but similar to the Forest Cats and they usually live between 12 to 19 years.
We feed ours on special for the breed IAMS biscuit dry-food and Felix, also give them the odd boiled chicken. Occasionally take advantage of special offers from Pets at Home and the like with fancy foods.
You friend needs to get his cat food in bulk from somewhere cheaper I doubt we're paying much more than £50 a month.