Which breed of cat makes for a champion mouser?

[Chicoboy]

The Manx is regarded as a champion mouser.
However if you need a very fearce mouser you want a manx/tabby cross.
For best results if momma was the manx then you want a boy kitty, if dady was a manx then you want a girl kitty.

Most mousers, even a champion, are afraid of packrats and rats, and will run away from them.
However, the manx/tabby cross will kill and eat them.

This tip presented in memory of "Stripe" the fearcest mouser in the west.

[LibbyP]

I never would have known that Chicoboy, We don't seem to have a problem with mice or rats around here, but... the neighbourhood next to us has a really big problem with rats, all the local stores are sold out or traps and poison . We seem to have a problem with voles/moles not sure which they are we have two cats our S. Lynx pt 'Ruby' is an awesome voler/moler ya hoo!! Where our S. Snowshoe pt 'Max' doesn't have a clue, hoping he'll learn acouple of things from our big killer, that the game is not to play with them for awhile and then set them free

[Lucky Rescue]

Where did you get that information? How good a cat is as a predator depends on the individual cat, and has nothing to do with the breed.

The best (or worst) predator I ever had was a black and white polydactyl who lived for 21 years. He could leap and snatch birds out of the air, and catch, kill and eat adult squirrels.

[LibbyP]

hey Lucky Rescue, my parents also had a blk/wht med hair that could do the same as yours, cat she would bring home her prize and leave it for you at the back door /

[Chicoboy]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rescue

Where did you get that information? How good a cat is as a predator depends on the individual cat, and has nothing to do with the breed.

The best (or worst) predator I ever had was a black and white polydactyl who lived for 21 years. He could leap and snatch birds out of the air, and catch, kill and eat adult squirrels.

I have a place in a remote forested area, when I first moved here I found the house had a heavy mouse infestation. So I asked the oldest and wisest people I could find that knew about cats and they recomended the manx. So I followed their advice, but maybe you are right.

Its sad that cats like to kill birds tho...

[OntarioGreys]

Having had both cats and a lot of hunting dog breeds, I would think that a rat terrier would be a much more effective hunter, and in England quite a few country homes still use ferrets to keep rodents populations down, Both too me seem a lot more tenacious than cats

[Chicoboy]

Originally Posted by OntarioGreys

Having had both cats and a lot of hunting dog breeds, I would think that a rat terrier would be a much more effective hunter, and in England quite a few country homes still use ferrets to keep rodents populations down, Both too me seem a lot more tenacious than cats

Another extremely informative reply from OntarioGreys
Keep up the good work...

Also what is the size of a rat terrier?
Bigger than a cat?

[jesse's mommy]

http://www.ratterrierclub.com/

[OntarioGreys]

ABOUT 10 TO 25 LBS

A tenacious Terrier of questionable ancestry, named "Skip", was acquired on a trip near the Grand Canyon by our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, and resided there in The White House during Roosevelt’s presidency. The breed's name is attributed to T.R., coined up in honor of his own Terriers’ who promptly exterminated the many thousands of rats that infested The White House after the demolition of the old Jefferson greenhouses, and during the subsequent construction of additional wings.

[Chicoboy]

Originally Posted by jesse's mommy

http://www.ratterrierclub.com/

thanks for the URL

[Prin]

Yeah, I was going to say a Jack Russell terrier... But that's a dog too...

[rainbow]

I have a place in a remote forested area, when I first moved here I found the house had a heavy mouse infestation. So I asked the oldest and wisest people I could find that knew about cats and they recomended the manx. So I followed their advice, but maybe you are right.

Its sad that cats like to kill birds tho...

:troll: :troll: And it's sad that you're a troll. :troll: :troll:

[Puppyluv]

Originally Posted by rainbow

:troll: :troll: And it's sad that you're a troll. :troll: :troll:

ROFL!
Chicoboy, care to explain this genetics anomaly you have provided? (manx mother = sons are good hunters and manx fathers =daughters are good hunters) I find this fascinating, since it doesn't fit with any trait of ineritance I've ever encountered.

(If this guy keeps posting, my eyes are going to get stuck in this position)

[Esaunders]

My sister's tortiseshell tabby kitty is a hunting machine who takes down rabbits, squirrels & chipmunks at 16 years old. She used to be our barn cat and has 'retired' to a life of luxury.

Unfortunately she's decided that she's "off-duty" in the house and refuses to catch the mouse that occasionally appears.

Her sadly missed sister (died years ago) was an even better hunter taking down everything from mice to birds.

[Puppyluv]

ooh ooh esaunders, is the cat's dad a manx? 'cause apparantly, that's the way it works.....

[Prin]

Manx is autosomal, right? It's a lethal double recessive gene, which means that if both parents are manx, the offspring won't be hunting so much as haunting...

IMO, there's no good reason to breed manx cats... JMO...

[Cinnabear]

Definately not mine. They are strictly indoor cats that are free fed and have no desire to catch a mouse. That might be different when my daughter gets pet mouse next week.

[erykah1310]

Mine either! well they werent anyways, Fuzzer Muffin catches alot of mice now but when we first moved here we had 2 cats (kinda fosters) and then my Blue menu, in our loving house with 3 adult cats we also had a loving friendly mouse!! He was content coming out and eating up crumbs from the cat dish, WHILE THEY WERE IN THE ROOM!!!!!
Crazy cats! No need to hunt that little creature!!! LOL

[scuba0095]

Hey i really like this thread. I think just like working dogs or breeding dogs for specific purposes it would be nice to have a cats bred to be excellent hunters.


I also have heard TIME and TIME again how manx are the best hunters and will often tackle very large prey.


"a few country homes still use ferrets to keep rodents populations down"

Thats funny because the ferrets here in north america seem to be much worse hunters then cats. I have never met a ferret that had hunting ability it seems like its all been bred out

[jiorji]

well why worry about a mouse catcher instead of finding the source of the mice/rats and getting rid of them forever??

I have a tabby...once a feral tabby...and i own a rodent and my kitty's response to my rodent pet is to lick her head until she's damp. She loves her that much :love: :love: :love:

my friend has a much larger tabby who has access to the outdoors and she's full aware of critters yet th most she'll attack are flies. My mother's friend has a tabby who goes out at night and comes back with dead presents for the owner lol

so it all depends on the cat. I think that tendencies to attack small moving critters are more apparent in dog breeds than in cats. A cat is less likely to hunt for her owner's approval and a pat on the head.

[jiorji]

Originally Posted by erykah1310

Mine either! well they werent anyways, Fuzzer Muffin catches alot of mice now but when we first moved here we had 2 cats (kinda fosters) and then my Blue menu, in our loving house with 3 adult cats we also had a loving friendly mouse!! He was content coming out and eating up crumbs from the cat dish, WHILE THEY WERE IN THE ROOM!!!!!
Crazy cats! No need to hunt that little creature!!! LOL

cats are smart animals. THey know not to attack anotehr family pet

[LavenderRott]

Originally Posted by jiorji

cats are smart animals. THey know not to attack anotehr family pet

You might want to explain that to my cat who would just love it if the hamster would escape from his cage.

[jiorji]

well there are some exceptions

PLus if the cat is not used to the hamster how is she to know he's part of the family ??:P

Before my guinea pig moved back to my parents' house, she was frequently around my cats to socialise them and get them used to each other. And FYI she didn't leave cos of the cats. My parents wanted the guinea pig to stay with them.

[scuba0095]

Ive never had a cat that killed family pets but all of my cats have killed wild animals at one time or another i really think they know just like dogs

[rainbow]

I think someone should start a new thread as the OP was a :troll: and his post should be buried IMO.

[Kristin7]

I had a barn cat once who was a great mouser. She also got squirrels, chipmunks, birds, rabbits and once tried to take down a pheasant. She was indoor/outdoor her whole life and usually ate what she killed. Not sure if this is true, but I read somewhere cats have to see their mother do this as a kitten or they will only kill and not eat their prey.