How to Teach a Cat to Kill Mice
Cats have a reputation as mouse killers but not all cats want to kill mice. Some well-fed and pampered cats have no interest in catching and killing mice and any instinct that the cat may have once felt to stalk, catch and kill a mouse has become a vague memory. Since most cat owners don't like dead mice on their doorsteps, this is not always a problem. However, for a cat owner who suddenly faces an infestation of mice, stimulating the cat's instincts to kill mice may seem like a good idea.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Stimulate the cat from a young age with objects that promote stalking, pouncing and capturing. Objects attached to a string that the owner pulls along will help a kitten develop its hunting instinct. Objects with bells or other noise-makers will also act as stimulants for the cat's hunting instincts.
-
2
Use mouse-like toys when playing games that promote chasing, stalking and pouncing. The kitten can make the transition from a toy mouse to a real mouse.
-
-
3
Attach a toy mouse to a string and pull it around to capture the cat's interest and encourage its instincts to stalk the object and pounce on it.
-
4
Show dead mice to the cat so that it becomes accustomed to seeing a dead mouse. This mimics the way that mother cats teach their kittens, by bringing back killed prey to the kittens as an example.
-
5
Show pleasure if the cat kills a mouse. Praise the cat, pet it profusely and give it a kitty treat next to the dead mouse so that it associates the act of killing the mouse with a reward.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit cat image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
