Conference misery::feline_v1

    It seems to be common wisdom that mama cat trains the little ones to
    "mouse."  So, if you want a good mouser, get a kitten from a cat that
    has good mousing credentials.  It's as much nurture as nature.

    The old nature/nurture controvery, eh?  Well, does anyone have a
    good mouser, daughter-of-mouser or son-of-mouser that needs a home?
    
    Craig

	 You could  always  try  any barns that you may pass. Often they
     have large cat populations and most are trained mousers (their barn
     occupation). Who knows, they might even appreciate you adopting one
     of them - too often it's the other way around.

	BTW, where do you live?


			    Kathy

    How do you teach a cat to mouse???  Well....if you saw the show
    about cats on PBS a while ago, you'd know!  I think Mother Nature
    has a lot to do with it, but Mother Cat gives the demos!!
    
    The best mouser I've ever known was a 20 lb. Maine Coon named Butch.
    Butch ran his farm with an iron paw.  He could take down a Volkswagen
    if he wanted to.  He always had a look on his face that said "Hi...I'm
    Butch.  Don't mess with me."  Fortunately, Butch had a soft spot
    in his heart for birds and never preyed upon them.  He would keep the
    squirrels away from the feeders, and once brought an injured bird
    into the house so it could be cared for.  Nice kitty....
              
    Mary

    In fact, the reason Maine coons exist as a recognised breed today
    is that they were recognised as exceptional mousers during the dark
    ages (between the time they lost accrediation and re-acceptance
    into the fancy.
    
    Doctor Who, my maine coon with outdoor privilges, can catch almost
    anything except birds.
    

    Okay...
    
    Based on the information I have obtained through this file and other
    sources.  It is clear that I need a Maine Coon Cat who's mother
    possessed demonstrated mousing skills and who lived in a barn or
    on a farm.
    
    Can anyone out there satisfy any or all of these requirements?
    
    Craig
    
    p.s. What's a Maine Coon look like anyway?

    What do you want, a body count????
    
    Marion ;^D
    

    Check out note #5 for info on Maine Coons.
    

    I have a superb mouser for you.  He's a big guy (15 lbs) and he
    looks like a racoon.  For more info, refer to Note 880 and ignore
    the reply that says he's taken.

    Marion,
    
    Only confirmed kills.

    Do lizards count?

    
    	This is an old note but I'll add this anyway.  I thought
    	we had only one mouser in our family...Brandi.  BUT! such is
    	not the case.  Our landlord told us that we may get an occasional
    	mouse in our apartment but we haven't really thought much about
    	it.  So imagine our surprise when Cary and I are sitting in
    	the living room watching TV and hear this squeaking coming from
    	the kitchen. Cary knew what it was right off....so into the kitchen
    	he goes and there is SASHA with a little field mouse in her mouth!
    	She took off for the cellar where Cary and I followed her.  He
    	caught her and patted her on the head telling her good kitty and
    	she dropped it.  Fortunately she didn't have it long enough to
    	really do any damage to it.  So I picked the little bugger up
    	by the tail and returned him to the outdoors.
    
    	My baby is a mouser!
    
    	JJ
    

    RE:  Returned him outside!!!
    
    You do the same thing I do....because I don't want to kill the little
    guy even though I do not like those little creatures.   But my husband
    forever yells at me stating "if he found his way in the house the
    first time...he'll surely come back the second".  
    
    Anyway...we very seldom see a "live" one around. 
                                                      
    Sandy

    
    	Sandy,
    
    	I agree...as much as I don't like them in my house, they
    	are kinda cute and I have no reason to kill it or let one
    	of the cats kill it....
    
    	I'm just hoping there aren't too many more or I may not
    	be able to save one the next time!
    

Yeah, about the mice thing....I was just about to start a new note, but
found this one in time...

it seems that Tabitha, the senior cat and a very cross-eyed siamese, has
SOME of the hunting mice thing down...but not all of it.  We had an
invader last night and Tabs caught the mouse, killed it, and then
didn't eat it...but she mushed it around real good as if she was trying
to figure out how one WOULD eat a mouse if one was REALLY going to do it.

This happened while we were asleep.  At approx. 4:30 in the morning, I
was instantly awakened by a truly hideous shriek from my roommate's room.
I snapped into a sitting position and tried to orient myself while Marge
proceeded to throw things around in there.  I staggered down the hall with
three of the cats behind me...sorta saying, "we're here to back you up...
YOU figure out what's going on".  There, in the middle of her room stood
my almost hysterical roommate.  Her bedding was EVERYWHERE in the room.
I mean EVERYWHERE....even hanging from pictures on the walls.
Tabitha was sitting on the bed with a confused look on her face, the
aforementioned, well-mushed mouse at her feet.  On the bed.

I managed to piece together that Tabitha had captured her prey
and decided to give it to Marge as a gift.  Apparently, she shoved it
right under Marge's nose and then woke her up expecting to be praised.  
The rest is, as they say, history.

I could not keep from laughing....I was laughing so hard, I couldn't do
anything.  Marge was less than amused at the time...but I know she will
laugh about it later.....sometime late next year, by my calculations.

Anyway, I removed the offending mouse and we all got up for the day....
who could sleep after that?  

Tabs has done this before, killing and mushing up a mouse, but she has not
"given" it to Marge...it was on the living room floor with the cats all
sitting around it, staring intently as if waiting for it to DO something
when we found it.

After Marge's response this time, I think Tabs may start a "mouse 
underground railroad" to get those guys out of the house ALIVE before 
Marge sees them.

    Poor Marge...hopefully she likes your kids as much as you do!!!  
    It's bad enough seeing one lying dead on your floor....but to
    have one on my bed!!  YUCK!!
    
    I don't think she'll laugh about this yet!! Like you said "maybe
    in the next year".  I think you owe her....and I don't mean another
    present like Tabitha gave her!!   
    
    Good Story....but poor Marge.
    
    Sandy

Luckily, Tabs "belongs" to Marge....the cats have evenly divide us up between
them.....Tabs and Sam own Marge and Hannah and Nick own me.  Obviously, if
you have cats in a house, all residents of the house hafta LIKE cats or it
just won't work..Besides, Tabs is the one who pooped in my water bed WITH
ME IN IT when she decided she didn't like the litter we used that week....
it was ANOTHER one of those moments when Tabs is lucky she lives with cat
LOVERS....or she'd be history for sure!   8^}

I think I AM in a little bit of hot water, though....I shouldn't have laughed..
I really shouldn't have laughed.  Oh well, I'll make a nice dinner for her
this weekend to soothe her damaged dignity.

And think of poor Tabitha's psyche!  Her present to "mom" was soundly rejected.
We'll call in the kitty therapists.

    reminds me of the time my old cat 10 years ago dropped one on my rug
    and I stepped on it (outta bed I was barefootin'), wondering what this
    warm stuff was doing on my floor.  When I turned on the light and
    screamed my parents came in and found the whole situation hilarious.  I
    was not amused, but I did feel honored, by that cat.  
    
    ---Becca 

    re: .17
    
    Oh no!  Don't let Miss Kitty Manners hear that Marge rejected the
    gift that Tabs brought her.  It says right there on page 563 of
    Miss Kitty Manners Guide for the Turn of the Millenium that all
    gifts should be promptly and properly acknowledged with a hand written
    Thank You note.
    
    No therapists for Tabs, but the Kitty Manners police just might
    be after Marge!  :^)
    
    Jo

    re: .19
    
Jo,

I would suggest Marge write a thank you note...but I'd fear where she
would try to deliver it...

Maybe I'll just tell Tabs she is a good kid and to let me know if she wants
to get her mom a present...we'll try and find something more appropriate
next time.