Of Mice And Hounds

[Guest Jacks_Human]

Jack has discovered mice.

 

The recent cold snap got the local mice running into the neighbour's pile of hedge clippings. Hound heard them/saw them rustling about and went into Greyhound Predator Mode-- it took a very firm 'LEAVE IT NOW' to get his attention prised away from his potential prey.

 

Now, for most wildlife, I am very firm with Jack that hunting season is closed, and he does listen to me about leaving the squirrels and bunnies alone (albeit with an exaggerated HUFFF or a big sigh ). However, I do NOT want mice in my flat, which is a ground-floor flat with nearby bushes plus the neighbour's brush-pile, and would be happy if he 'dealt with' any mice which got inside. My mum's dogs (all huskies) have all been mousers, which my mum encouraged as we lived in an area with a major mouse problem, but unfortunately also took this as license to hunt all kinds of other small things, including birds (!!!).

 

Anyone have similar experiences/thoughts?

[kronckew]

blue used to cat pounce in the tall grass around the edge of the farm across the road. sometimes it was followed by a crunch. i suspect it was an ex-mouse now resting in his tummy.

 

he dug up a mouse nest once in the same field, dirt flying everywhere, the dirt included not only 4 teeny baby mice but their mother. blue kept digging. i think he got so excited about the digging he forgot why he'd started.

 

yet at home, i'd set out traps for the mice one fall, having heard one in the kitchen. later watching tv one sauntered across the living room in full view of me and both the dogs, who ignored it. i caught the little moocher in one of the traps a few hours later. i did not let the dogs see what i did with it.

[Feisty49]

I will get mice in the house, mostly in the cellar, as it gets colder, but my cat, Henny Penny, is a great mouser. The occasional mouse Annie has seen outside grabs her interest and she has actually killed two, before I could stop her, by STOMPING on them. Mind you, Annie Bella is always on a leash so I'm right there, but the movement of the mouse, followed immediately by Annie's stomping, happens in a split second so I couldn't stop the POUNCE! I did stop her from tasting though.

 

My cat doesn't eat the mice; just smacks them around until dead. I would go all out to not let Annie eat a mouse because of the chances of some sort of parasite or worm getting in her gut.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Feisty49

[TheFullHouse]

Mice can carry some nasty diseases so I've never let my dogs eat them. When we had the floods last spring mice were running all over the place. I have said I can't stand them right. Jilly Bean was the one to catch the mice, thankfully she never tried to eat one, she just killed them and left me to pick them up.

[Dawnnziggy]

Ziggy, who is 9 going on 40, catches them and holds them in his mouth. He doesn't eat them or hurt them one bit. I yell at him to "drop it" and he does. Of course, it's not only mice, he picks up baby birds too. He's done this about 6 times.

[Guest kess]

 

 

Anyone have similar experiences/thoughts?

 

I don't like my animals killing things but there are exceptions, once the cat bought a live mouse into the house and dropped it on the floor to show me and it took off. I don't know if she caught it or if it got out of the house I was just glad it was gone. It is a natural instinct for most animals to hunt but usually we don't want to encourage our pets to do so.

[sobesmom]

In my experience - we have an on-leash/vs/in house thing. If you're on a leash and something small is running - it's NO - and I expect and get compliance. I don't need my arm torn off.

 

In the fenced yard - all bets are off. If some poor critter is dumb enough to come in the fenced yard - I can't blame the dogs for doing what they do. Same goes in my house. My greys KNOW mice are not supposed to be in there - and they will do their dangdest to take care of the situation. Now - I've never had a grey catch a mouse in the house to my knowledge - but - a few weeks ago - my DIana definately alerted me to the fact that there was SOMETHING scurrying about unseen. She went into HIGH prey mode around a cabinet. Upon inspection - I found droppings, and put out poison the next day.

 

I'm quite certain that if some unwanted critter gets itself into range in the house - Diana WILL nab it. She'll kill it - but she won't eat it. Once the chase and kill is over - she looses interest. I'm totally OK with this. I have no problem having a mouser in my house!

 

That, IMHO - has no impact or relevance on my dog on leash-walks, or in other situations. Dogs are certainly smart enough to know the difference between destoying home invaders, and not going crazy on walks.

 

A mouser is a GOOD thing to have in your house!

Edited September 22, 2012 by sobesmom

[Guest CerDoak]

Shea has gone on high alert around the bushes in our yard and one day she suddenly went running from the bushes. She ran to the corner of our yard where it's all sand and then started digging. Upon further inspection she had gotten a baby mouse out of the bushes chased and ran it over smashing it just before the edging that separates the gardens and the sand area from the lawn. I guess since it stopped running in front of her she forgot about it and decided a dig would be nice. She saw it when walking out of the sand and walked around it, no interest in eating it at all, and she can go outside with a squirrel sitting on the handrail of our deck and totally ignores it. That being said her and my Siamese love to eat bugs when they get in the house.( flies, mosquitos, grasshoppers, spiders)