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Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Learn something new every day. (about cats)

A friend of ours moved to Florida last winter and her 18 year old , very well fed cat has filleted her lanai screen trying to get the geckos.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Learn something new every day. (about cats)

OP - when we had mice we trapped and poisoned them but could not get rid of them until DH found where they had chewed a hole in the wood frame around a basement window and sealed it with expanding foam. Then our exterminator said to spray all the wood where they could get to it and chew another hole with Louisiana Hot sauce. They did not chew any more holes.

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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Learn something new every day. (about cats)

On 8/12/2014 Buck-i-Nana said:

Not only are our house cats not hungry, most were not with their moms long enough or in the right environment for mom to teach them to mouse! According to the pet experts, mouse hunting and killing is a learned behavior, not instinct.

I feed all my cats on elevated surfaces. My house, I think, is built on one giant ant hill, so keeping the food elevated eliminates the ant problem and keeps the dogs out of it.

DH, who is a veterinarian, would respectfully disagree with you. He says cats are natural born hunters. One of ours, who was a gift to DD when she was 14. was born into a pampered environment. She had only the best of everything (lots of contact with humans, organic kitty food, special water) when she was being weaned from her mom. Then she came to live with us. She has never been outside, but she is quite a mouser! If there is one around, she'll find it! When DD was in high school, she came home one night to a "present" in the middle of her bed. We were in bed, but not asleep, when we heard the screams! {#emotions_dlg.lol}