Knowing what to do when your cat catches a mouse is a skill most cat owners have to learn. Hunting is a natural instinct for our domestic cats, and mice are a common victim!
It’s important to keep yourself safe when cleaning away mice. Wear gloves and disinfect the area well whilst your cat is shut in another room.
Most pet cats don’t eat the mice they catch. But, if they do, you must watch for signs of parasites or any other potential diseases passed along.
Let’s take a closer look.
What to Do When Your Cat Catches a Mouse
It’s easy to panic when you see a mouse on your floor, in the doorstep, or worse… in your bed!
Even though your cat might think they’ve given you a lovely gift, it’s likely you don’t feel the same.
Usually, the mouse in question won’t be alive. So, you need to remove it, and clean anything that it’s touched.
Here are a few tips for cleaning up a mouse that your cat has caught:
- Wear gloves to keep yourself safe
- Shut your cat away out of the room
- Use bleach or disinfectant to clean any hard surfaces the mouse touches
- Wash any bedding or soft materials the mouse touches
- Steam clean any carpets the mouse touches
- Dispose of the mouse somewhere your cat (or a fox!) can’t get at it
Of course, this information won’t help if your cat has caught a live mouse. So let’s tackle that next.
What to Do When Your Cat Catches a Live Mouse
Dealing with a live mouse in your house is harder, since your cat might still be chasing it around, the mouse will be stressed, and may be hard to catch.
Ideally, isolate the mouse to a single room and remove your cat. This way the mouse may run around a little less.
Most mice will try to hide underneath something like your fridge, or sofa, since it is dark, and the smaller space will feel safer to them. So, you may need to move some furniture to catch it.
Usually, it’s easiest to catch the mouse using a large plastic tub or bowl. If possible, you may find it easier to enlist the help of someone else at home.
Together, you can herd the mouse somewhere open to catch it.
The Happy Cat Handbook - A unique guide to understanding and enjoying your cat!
Once you’ve caught the mouse, you should try to release it as far away from your home as possible. Releasing it in the garden will usually result in your cat catching it again pretty soon.
It’s important to wear gloves when dealing with a live mouse, too. This will protect you from any potential parasites, and even buffer against any scared biting.
Why Do Cats Like Catching Mice?
Hunting is a natural instinct, even in domestic cat breeds. In fact, some owners may even view it as a positive behavior in their cat.
One theory suggests that cats may bring mice into the house as a way to ‘show’ you how to hunt, or to gather some food for you.
Another suggests that cats present prey like mice as gifts for their owners.
But, of course, it could also be that your cat’s natural hunting instincts just kicked in when they saw a little mouse running around.
In many parts of the world, cats’ hunting instincts were a great pest control method. For instance, whisky distilleries in Scotland, like the Glenturret Distillery employed cats to manage mice for them!
One cat named Towser even holds a Guinness World Record for catching the most mice – 28,889 mice over 24 years!
So, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing that your cat is catching mice. It can be very unpleasant and stressful for you, but it doesn’t mean your cat is unnaturally vicious or murderous. It’s a very natural behavior.
What To Do If My Cat Ate A Mouse
Most cats will catch mice and then just leave them around your house. But some may eat parts of the mice they catch, or all of the mouse.
This can make cleaning harder for you, since the mouse may not be all in one piece. But, it can also pose worries about your cat’s health.
A main issue that mice can pose to cats is passing on parasites.
But, mice can carry and transmit a number of infectious diseases.
If you’ve noticed that your cat has eaten a mouse, it’s important to watch for any signs of disease or infection. This can include:
- Lethargy
- Disinterest in food
- Diarrhea and/or vomiting
- Excessive scratching or biting at fur
- Blood in stools
- Weight loss
If you notice any symptoms like this after your cat has eaten a mouse, take them straight to their vet.
How to Stop my Cat Catching a Mouse
Since cleaning up a mousey “gift” from your cat can be stressful and a little gross, it’s natural to want to find ways to minimise the occurrence.
Some owners hope that keeping their cat indoors will reduce the behavior. And, in many cases it will. But, if a mouse gets indoors, your cat may still catch and kill it.
You can read more on the indoor vs outdoor cat debate here.
One study suggests that there are two key ways to reduce hunting tendencies without interfering with the process itself:
- Provide high meat protein foods
- Simulate hunting with object play
So, make sure you’re giving your cat a high quality, high-protein food. And, stimulate their hunting instincts at home to try and satisfy their need to chase something.
You could choose toys like laser pointers, or string and feather style toys.
What to Do When Your Cat Catches a Mouse
For some owners, finding a mouse in their home is a regular occurrence. But for others, it’s a rare and quite stressful occasion!
Have you tried the techniques above to reduce your cat’s natural hunting tendencies?
Or do you know any other great methods that have worked for your cat?
References and Resources
- Crowley, S. (et al), ‘Hunting Behavior in Domestic Cats: An Exploratory Study of Risk and Responsibility Among Cat Owners’, People and Nature (2019)
- ‘Kitten Named Official Mouser at Glenturret Distillery’, BBC News (2014)
- Cecchetti, M. (et al), ‘Provision of High Meat Content Food and Object Play Reduce Predation of Wild Animals by Domestic Cats Felis Catus’, Current Biology (2021)
- Capari, B. (et al), ‘Parasitic Infection of Domestic Cats, Felis Catus, in Western Hungary’, Veterinary Parasitology (2013)
- Herron, M. & Buffington, C. ‘Environmental Enrichment for Indoor Cats’, Compendium: Continuing Education for Veterinarians (2010)
- ‘Diseases Directly Transmitted by Rodents‘, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Your Amazing Cat!
We are so excited to share our new book with you!
If you have enjoyed your visit to The Happy Cat Site we think you'll love The Happy Cat Handbook.
Written by the founders of this website including the author of the hugely successful Happy Puppy Handbook, it's packed with cat care information and fascinating cat facts.
Grab your copy today!
Leave a Reply