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J. Clarke[_2_]

In article , says...

On 9/17/2012 3:18 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
wrote in
:

We discovered that have some mice in the warehouse.

I set up some mouse traps, but I doubt that it will take care of the
problem fully. Maybe we should get a cat here. If so, what cats are
least troublemakers and good at catching mice?

Hungry ones. Give the cat just enough cat kibble so that it knows it has a steady supply of
food, but not so much that it's too sated to hunt.

Best to get a female (it won't scent-mark your equipment).

Don't worry about specific breeds. Any cat will do; they all hunt mice. And don't pay for one,
either; you should have *no* trouble finding someone who's happy to give you as many
cats as you're willing to take. Try searching craigslist for "free cat" -- I get about a dozen hits
in the Indianapolis area. IIRC, you're in metro Chicago, aren't you? I'd be surprised if you
don't get at least fifty.
Excuse me, but females certainly do pee on everything to advertize they
are ready. When she is spayed, she will still do it for 1-2 years.
Females don't spray quite as high as males, which can hit 10 ft or more.

If you get a cat, try for one that is part Siamese. They are by far the
most intelligent and best mousers. Ours also gets rid of rabbits in the
garden.

May I also suggest you invest in a large wire cage for the cat during
the time your business is in operation. They love to get in front of
moving equipment and then lay down, expecting to be picked up. Oops, too
late!

Litter boxes will tell you when it's time to replace the clay pellets.

Traps are a whole lot less trouble!

If the idea is to get rid of the mice with the least fuss and bother,
hire an exterminator. If you want an excuse to get a cat it's another
story. But unless you can catch a feral and persuade it to (a) stay and
(b) not kill you, there's no guarantee that any given cat is going to
have any interest in catching mice. Some are worse than useless--one I
knew not only did not kill the mice, but brought in more from outside.