You’ll often see photos of cats with pet birds sitting nearby or pet mice cuddling up to them. Obviously these cats have never learned the art of hunting or are just very mellow.
Some cats seem to be natural hunters. But others must be taught.
Barn cats are generally good hunters. Most of the time they are left to fend for themselves. If they want a meal, there are times they must catch it themselves.
Kittens are usually taught by their mothers to hunt. You can encourage hunting skills by playing with your kitten or cat as often as you can. Chasing toys is a way of entertaining your cat while honing hunting skills. There are a number of mouse-shaped toys to help with the process.
If you really want your cat to be a mouser, keep vaccinations current. Mice and rats can carry disease and may infect your cat.
By the way, many dogs make good mousers as well.
This was not an easy article to write as mice and rats are often someone’s pet. But we understand they can be a problem and may spread disease to humans too.
