Daily Question is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided from an expert on JustAnswer.
Q: Are there specific breeds of cat that can help rid a home of mice? My 10-year-old tabby won’t even chase a mouse (but he’ll go crazy over a bird!).
Hungry and ready to hunt. (Photo: Flickr/Ian Barbour)
A: In my experience, the best mousers have been short-hair cats. More important is that their mothers were mousers.
Lots of cats chase mice but do not follow through with the kill, unless they have eaten mouse or seen a mouse eaten. This is more common with cats that are raised outdoors.
Most horse barns, dairy barns, or farms have resident cats that provide lots of kittens for adoption. You could also check with humane societies for proven mousers. If you get a kitten, I would recommend a 10- to 12-week-old female. She’d be old enough to have learned mousing but young enough not to threaten your male cat’s status as head of the household.
– Answer from Dr. Gregg, veterinarian and expert on JustAnswer.
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