Do male cats bring mice into the house?

[Ralph's mum (angie)]

Max is Archies hero Archie has so far brought two mice into the house and we have rescued another in the garden.

Thank you Archie, but your not doing to bad yourself recently
Max

[smudgepickles]

To be honest if your Mum doesn't agree with litter trays and is also restricting rooms then I seriously would not get a cat. Cats need company and TLC it doesn't sound like its going to get either when your not there  . You would have to keep any cat/kitten in for a length of time 2-3 weeks if it were an adult cat and longer a lot longer if it were a kitten....they need indoor litter trays

Cats will always bring home gifts weather it be mice, frogs or little bits of paper that they only see as the best present ever. Its what they do. I think you need to wait until such time as you have your own home so you can love/treat like a proper cat as apposed to it living where apart from you it is not wanted

x

[Felix (Caroline)]

Our two outside cats are both hunters one 11 year male and one 5 year female, bringing them in through the cat flap in the middle of the night. felix who passed away last october wasn't really a hunter he just loved lazy around all day.He also had his mad half hours and was really funny.xx

[alisonandarchie]

Max is Archies hero Archie has so far brought two mice into the house and we have rescued another in the garden.

[Ralph's mum (angie)]

You have not heard any stories of my Max Monster then, he collects them as pets  7 in 2 days, brings them in out the cold then lets them run a mock before I toss him and them out, thats when they are not climbing the curtains 

Ang... you should paint him ginger and rename him Garfield

[clarenmax]

Hiya, and  to Purrs 

I can sympathise with your situation, when I lived at home I wasn't allowed animals at all (apart from hamsters/birds) as my dad is severly allergic to cat/dog fur, so I had to wait until I moved out to get a cat.

I agree that having a cat restricted to just a few rooms is not ideal, and the litter tray issue may make it unworkable, as its always important to have a tray (even with outdoor cats) so you can notice any possible illnesses etc.

Have you thought about helping out at a local rescue until you can either talk your folks round or be in a position to take on a cat fully?  Its something I would defo have done in years gone by if I'd thought of it 

[blackcat]

yep, I was raised in a house where, while I was under their roof I had to abide by their rules. Fair enough when you look at it from their perspective. If they don't want a cat about then that is their decision, unfortunately. From their perspective, if and when you leave home you can have whatever you want (finances permitting), but if you moved out into a flat and could not take your pets with you, they would be stuck with something they didn't want in the first place. Perhaps you need to practice patience. I had to wait until I was 23 to get my horse, because while i lived at home my parents wouldn't have one around ...

[MiddleEarthNet]

It is me who wants another cat, not mum.  But since I live with my parents, I need their agreement.  Our kitchen is quite large and I spent every minute that I was in the house (and awake) with my previous cats.  I also let them into other rooms when mum wasn't looking.  They both died of old age (age 15 and 17) and I really did look after them very well.  But because of the resticted room access, that is why we let them outside (we have a catflap).  If it was up to me, they would be allowed in every room and be allowed to bring mice in.

Now mum is making a fuss about a litter tray, so it looks like I can't win.  I'm not very happy. 

[Rosella moggy]

My brother brought his new wife (a Singapore girl with no cat experience) home with their baby boy last Christmas to join my brothers 3 gingers. The bedroom was absolutley out of bounds.

When I went over a month ago, I noticed 1 of the gingers in my nephew's cot in the said bedroom. I commented that I thought the bedroom was out of bounds; my sister in law merely sighed

[furballmom]

the only room here thats out of bounds is the laundry room and that because the window has to be open for the dryer that and OH locked phoenix in there a few time accidentally if looks could kill he be dead

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

You have not heard any stories of my Max Monster then, he collects them as pets  7 in 2 days, brings them in out the cold then lets them run a mock before I toss him and them out, thats when they are not climbing the curtains 

Ang... you should paint him ginger and rename him Garfield

I agree with the others though, I know some homes can successfully keep some rooms out of bounds to keep things nice and pet hair free, but not the majority of them. Cats are social animals, I imagine it would break your heart if you couldn't have your cat with you when you want them to. I think BC has a good idea in you asking your Mum what she would like, she may surprise you

[Ralph's mum (angie)]

You have not heard any stories of my Max Monster then, he collects them as pets  7 in 2 days, brings them in out the cold then lets them run a mock before I toss him and them out, thats when they are not climbing the curtains 

[blackcat]

I agree Gill, if the cat is only to have access to two rooms of the house and is to be subjected to adverse reactions when doing what comes naturally, it would seem it is not a pet I would be encouraging your mother to have. Is it she who wants a pet, or you who wants her to have one? Owning animals is a responsibility that you have to take on willingly because if you don't it all goes to custard for both you and the animal. Why not stop trying to convince your mum to have a cat, and ask her what she wants...

[ccmacey]

Yes my male brings mice and birds back to the house to kill. I managed to get them from him if he brought them inside but its just having to deal with them at the time. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

If the cat would not be allowed full house access, then I do not think a cat is for her to be honest as this is not good for a cat.

Maybe a parrot or a budgie would suit her better?

Cats like company, to follow you round the house, need litter trays even if they go outside and like to be one of the family. Its a life long committment and they would not be happy being locked in a couple of rooms.

Also cats have fur and shed it, they get sick, make a mess and expect their owner to be their slave.

Cats are not always cute and loveable, they can be monsters ands noisy especially when they do not get the care and attention they think they need 

I would hate to try and stop someone who loves cats from getting one but they have to really love cats and be prepared to pander to their needs.

[MiddleEarthNet]

Thanks for the welcome.

And for the responses about catching mice.  It is what I thought the answers would be.  I'll try to convince mum that mice under the fridge is a good thing .

An indoor cat is a possiblity but since I am likely to have more luck convincing mum about the mice than to let a cat upstairs/living room, it would only have the kitchen and computer room to go in.  I will mention it though.

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

  to Purrs.

Equation in a Cat's mind:  Mouse = Gift for humans

   Sorry, but true.  Lexy is indoor and that's the only saving grace I don't have the scurries in the house, otherwise am positive I would spend some time on the chairs in my dining room.

[dolcetta46]

Oliver is an indoor cat so there is no danger of finding something horrid in our home, but he can be pretty fierce with toy mice and mutilated a few already.  He is particularly fond of one of them and wouldn't let go of this undistinguishable "corpse", so I put it in the cage for a little comfort for him when we took him in for neutering.  The face of the receptionist was quite unforgettable, she looked into the cage and pointed at the mangled lump of fur horrified, "em, what is that... thing???"  She thought it was real

[Millys Mum]

Or maybe consider something thats older and more sedate, you cant guarantee a cat not to hunt tho.

[Christine (Blip)]

  to Purrs, MiddleEarthNet.

Perhaps your mum might prefer a cat which has to be indoor-only, like an FIV+ cat or a blind one?  Just a thought...

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Its a cat thing any cat will do it.

Misa is the worst and he brings them in to play, he doesnt mean to hurt them. When they stop moving he leaves them and then they come alive again and I rwescue them  but Sasa also loves to hunt and she acts with Misa to trp em 

[lucy]

Binky used to bring in birds - had to drop one towel on cat and another on bird to catch and release them!    So sorry, hunting is definitely a cat thing.

[blackcat]

well Smidgen is a boy and has no compunction whatsoever about bringing mice into the house - sorry, it is not a gender thing

[MiddleEarthNet]

I've owned (two) female in the past and had a big problems with them bringing mice into the house.  It didn't bother me but mum hated it and is now insisting that she won't allow another cat in the house if we have this problem again.  So do male cats bring mice into the house?  We don't mind them hunting them but want them to keep it outside.
I've been looking on several websites and it never specifically refers to male cats - only a general statement that cats bring them in.