Cat help!

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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Sorry not sure where to post this! :o

I was wondering if anyone could give me any pointers on cat care, namely taking on a farm kitten....

We have a SEVERE mouse problem in the house. poison, trapping etc etc has not worked (old house, lots of nooks and crannys). So I was thinking of rehoming a kitten anyway but surely having a cat in the house can't hurt with the mouse problem?
I have been told even the scent of a cat is enough to drive mice away although i'm not sure how true this is?
Also with a farm kitten is it true they are more likely to be keen mousers?

Any other tips? We aren't right on the road but have one close by, anyway of making the kitten traffic savy?

Do they naturally learn to use a litter tray or do they need training?!

anything else i've forgotten?! Thank you in advance, we have always been dog people so this is a new adventure!!
 
Firstly I would probably get 2 kittens from the same litter, they will keep each other company and kill twice as many mice!

Not sure if farm kittens are more likely to catch the mice, but any cat will have a good go at it and probably scare them away!

With new cats, it's best to keep them in for a couple of weeks and then slowly let them out so they know how to get home and become road savvy.

You will need to litter train them in this time, there may be a few accidents but its not difficult. I have house trained our kittens in just a few days by constantly placing them in the box when it looks like they need to go, they soon get the hang of it!
 
I would get two rather than one as they can be miserable on their own. Normally they house train themselves as long as you make sure they know where the litter tray is.

Kittens are very good at getting stuck in/on/under things but you can normally entice them out with treats!

Other than that they're pretty easy really, they will get rid of the mice, and will occupy themselves.

Normally they need to go to the vet at about six months for contraceptive surgery, they're supposed to have annual flu jabs as well.

Would suggest keeping them in for the first week or so so they get used to where they live and know where to come home to! Good luck!
 
My cat is an excellent mouser! He brings in at least one, sometimes two a day, much to the horror of my partner!!
He was a house cat for quite a while, but we gradually started letting him out for his own sanity :) he doesn't go far as we have a large garden.
I would do the same again ie. keep it as a house cat for first 12 months, which seems to keep them from wandering too far when you gradually start letting them out.
Sounds like any cat you have will have plenty of fun with the mice in the house!
Cats are very clean and will naturally use the litter tray. You may need more than one though as my cat won't use it if it's even slightly dirty.
Make sure if you have a male cat to give them plenty of access to fresh water and wet food as opposed to dry as they can be prone to urinary tract infections.
Cats are great pets. I love mine to pieces.
He certainly ruled the roost in my house !
 
Why not take on an adult cat? You might be in a position to home a cat that would otherwise be destroyed. Rescue centres occassionally have cats that would only be suited as farm cats (semi ferals, non-lapcats, and cats that are known to bite, will otherwise be PTS)

We have one at the moment, 1yr old female, she is actually quite affectionate when it suits her, but she has her own business she likes to get on with, and if she doesn't want to picked up, she bites.

Also contact TNR groups, they may need neutered semi-ferals relocated, it'll be 'streetwise' and will hang around for food/shelter. You may need to keep it in a barn/shed for a little while at first.
 
Our current yard cat is the best cat we've ever owned...came via a feral rescue centre but gorgeous & soppy & a demon mouser/rabbiter/squirreler/ratter! Just to show they're worth considering & will get to work on the mice straight away whereas kittens will take quite a few months to get the hang of it.
 
Thanks for all the replies/advice!

The kittens are like 15 or so weeks old. They were born in my instructors tack room and she's been feeding them recently so will let people touch them etc.

She was just asking if anyone wanted one as out the original 8 born there is only 5 left as her yard dogs are picking them off one by one :(
She is still trying to get hold of the mother to get it spayed, but we have loads of feral cats round here!!

Our house is detached with a good garden but not like a big place for it to live and roam, so would prefer a house/pet cat who would also enjoy rounding up the vermin!

I woke the other morning with mouse poo ON MY PILLOW!!!! bork!! And my little terrier sleeps in bed with us but he is useless :o:rolleyes:
 
Buds_mum said:
Thanks for all the replies/advice!

The kittens are like 15 or so weeks old. They were born in my instructors tack room and she's been feeding them recently so will let people touch them etc.

She was just asking if anyone wanted one as out the original 8 born there is only 5 left as her yard dogs are picking them off one by one :(
She is still trying to get hold of the mother to get it spayed, but we have loads of feral cats round here!!

Our house is detached with a good garden but not like a big place for it to live and roam, so would prefer a house/pet cat who would also enjoy rounding up the vermin!

I woke the other morning with mouse poo ON MY PILLOW!!!! bork!! And my little terrier sleeps in bed with us but he is useless :o:rolleyes:
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Oh my god, this is my worst nightmare, i really feel for you.:eek:

The mouse poo on the pillow , now that is horrendous. If i was in your situation, i would be booking into the local hotel

I would do as the others have said, get some older cats. You'll find they will get rid immediately

Good luck, hope you sort it x
 
Cats are great.

Defo get two. They'll play together while young. I always find male cats to be more cuddly. We actually kept two neutured male cats together for years - they were both very cuddly although tended to ignore each other as they got older. They didn't fight except when one was sitting in the other's favourite place.

Fantastic for mice too.

Be warned though - they'll probably leave 'presents' of the dead variety on the doorstep.
 
Hi all thought i'd update!

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Need I say more :o

Two little girl kittens rescued from instructors yard, the rest of the litter had been killed by dogs so just these two little sweeties left.
A little feral but will let me pick them up and stroke them, plus they eat their kitten meat out of my hand which is good.
Currently confined to my bedroom and have a puppy cage for them to retreat into. They are already successfully using the litter tray and are currently snoozing on the window sill as the the radiator is below it so will be lovely and warm.

de flead and wormed and have a vets appointment on Friday for them to be checked over, injections etc.

Apparently these ones are only about 8 weeks old, they are very active though and are already attempting to terroise my little terrier :p

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This is Blossom, she has a runny eye so hoping vet will tell me its nothing. She is very vocal!!! Guessing a tortishell?

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Candy. Veeery fluffy, already has the disdainful cat look down but actually quite cuddly, purred on me this morning. And has already killed a moth so mousing instincts hopefully there!!
What colour would you say she is? She has a stripy face and is kind of brown and stripy!

Already in love, hope they thrive.
 
Oh they are really cute! I'd say the other one is tabby, but I there may be a cat expert on here who knows for sure :)
Hopefully the runny eye is nothing serious. Keep us updated on their mousing progress!
Oh I do love kittens, I only have one make cat who is a real mummies boy and I'm sure would not take kindly to a new kitten.... Which is probably just as well because I'd definitely get more if I could!
 
They are very cute. How awful that the yard dogs killed the others.:(

Make sure you don't let them out of the house until they are spayed otherwise you will have your own litters of kittens to rehome.

Lucky kittens to be rescued by you. Have fun. Cats are great!
 
I have 8 cats in my house.. 1 is my mum's, 1 is my friend's and 1 is a farm kitten from up the road somewhere.. We found him in the lane not far from death and he's a ball of mischief now.. The farmer his mum belongs to was going to drown him along with the rest of his litter.. Lucky kitten..

Regarding mice, I have at least half a dozen mice, shrews and voles brought in every day.. Even a rat, 2 birds and a young rabbit.. Some are even brought in for the kitten by the others, which he eats..

I wish you luck with yours ;)
 
What you have colour wise is a bright tortoiseshell/white,( an American Calico ) and a dark tortoiseshell, she will get redder and a richer colour as she gets older.
It looks as though the bright tortie has a mild case of cat flu, your vet will advise, please spey asap, I have known 4 month old kittens get pregnant.
Also get them used to being groomed, as matts in the coat are painful.
They will be gorgeous.
 
Yup-! two Torties there, and second the runny eye warning from flirty Gertie, let the vet know you're bringing a possible cat flu in as he may not want it in the waiting room longer than needed. They look lovely- I have a semi longhaired and a longhaired ex feral, and the matts are awful! The ex feral will allow me to do the basic care- ie cut out the matts and a quick brush, while grumbling then going off in a huff, but the domestic bred semi longhair is a pain in the butt- we have to scruff her and it's a two person job to get through her coat!

Hope they sort out your problem! X
 
They are both tortie and the eye is probably chlamydia or calici virus and will need antibiotics and some cream for the eye. You won't be able to vaccinate until the infection has cleared up. Keep indoors until they are old enough (6 months) to be speyed. That way you won't have any unwanted early babies.

Good luck with them. They look really delightful.
 
The Cats Protection League (or whatever they're called now, I forget) have a campaign running called House A Mouser. They are asking horsey people to give a yard home to a pair of semi-feral cats. Cats get a loving home, owners get a mouse free yard. My old yard took on two and within weeks they were happy to be stroked. One thing: it's a myth that if you feed a cat properly it won't bother chasing mice. The reality is that if you feed them properly they have the energy and mindset to be proper cats and to hunt anything that moves! If you don't feed them properly they get skinny, wormy, unhappy, no energy and will only try to catch enough mice (if they can) to try to settle the immediate hunger pangs.
 
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