I once had a cat whose main purpose in life was the slaughter of rats.
When I bought a smallholding I'm sure she thought I'd bought it for her,
and when rats were in short supply she'd have the odd stoat.
Tony

She sounds a bit like the cat I bought for my father for his smallholding.
His died of old age and I went to a cat rescue shelter in search of a
replacement. There were lots of fat moggies purring and rubbing round our
legs - real "lounge lizard" types. But there was a small stripy ginger one
in a cage on its own. The centre manager said that it was a bit nasty and
didn't get on very well with the other cats - plus it had somehow caught a
bird the day before. That's the one, we said!
The cat has worked out very well. Though it occasionally curls up asleep on
a chair (god protect anyone who tries to stroke it!) it is in its element
catching vermin around the farm. I once saw it struggling, dragging a dead
rabbit up the yard twice its own size. It often leaves dead mice, rats etc
on the doorstep - presumably it thinks it is sharing its kill with its clan.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

"Drakanthus" wrote in message
...


The cat has worked out very well. Though it occasionally curls up asleep
on
a chair (god protect anyone who tries to stroke it!) it is in its element
catching vermin around the farm. I once saw it struggling, dragging a dead
rabbit up the yard twice its own size. It often leaves dead mice, rats etc
on the doorstep - presumably it thinks it is sharing its kill with its
clan.

Oh absolutely It is giving it to its pack leader) Sounds like a game
wee thing doing a good job. Well done for recognising its talents

O

"Anthony E Anson" wrote in message
...
The message
from "geoff" contains these words:

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending
its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws)
Weils
disease?

I once had a cat whose main purpose in life was the slaughter of rats. I
could turn this post into a short story, but you'll be relieved to hear
that I haven't time.

Me too. He was half seal point Siamese, whose breeding mother got out one
night and took up with the enormous tabby tom next door.

Brave as a tiger was Pippin, he loved killing rats, with one blow to the
head. Mice weren't worth bothering with most of the time. He once caught a
cock pheasant and no dog would dare come within our boundary.

But he was terrified of the dustbin men.

Mary

"Peter Crosland" wrote in message
...
Well fancy that, you've kept the cats out and the result is that
something else (normally kept away by cats) arrives instead.

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending
its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws)
Weils
disease?

Yes. But the main vector is the rats urine.

And water.

Mary

I'd invite the cats back! When we moved into this house about a year ago
there were mice everywhere - in the kitchen, loft, airing cupboard, garage &
garden. We had to get the council in to erradicate the house mice but our
two cats have taken care of the outdoor mice & haven't caught one for months
now. They are also much more efficient & environmentally friendly rodent
catchers than traps & poison.

Jayne
"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
news
Hi

I saw what looked like a large mouse or small rat run across the back
border of the garden this morning, a pale brown/beige colour. It must
have come from behind the garden shed. I've never seen one before - is
this a problem? My concern is that I've blocked off the access to
either side and underneath the shed with trellis to discourage cats from
lurking there and I've been putting cut off branches and other prunings
into the spaces for wildlife or birds nesting etc. I just hope that I'm
not encouraging a rat colony - what do people think?
--
Lynda Thornton

The message
from "Drakanthus" contains these words:

She sounds a bit like the cat I bought for my father for his smallholding.
His died of old age and I went to a cat rescue shelter in search of a
replacement. There were lots of fat moggies purring and rubbing round our
legs - real "lounge lizard" types. But there was a small stripy ginger one
in a cage on its own. The centre manager said that it was a bit nasty and
didn't get on very well with the other cats - plus it had somehow caught a
bird the day before. That's the one, we said!
The cat has worked out very well. Though it occasionally curls up asleep on
a chair (god protect anyone who tries to stroke it!) it is in its element
catching vermin around the farm. I once saw it struggling, dragging a dead
rabbit up the yard twice its own size. It often leaves dead mice, rats etc
on the doorstep - presumably it thinks it is sharing its kill with its clan.

When I was about eight we had a cat which used to line up his catch with
the morning's milk - largest at one end, (er) tailing-off to the
smallest.

--
Tony
Replace solidi with dots to reply: tony/anson snailything zetnet/co/uk

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi

geoff wrote:


Well fancy that, you've kept the cats out and the result is that
something else (normally kept away by cats) arrives instead.

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws) Weils
disease?

.... yes, but the presence of cats in the area definitely *does* keep
rats away. We used to get rats visiting our horse feed but now our
cats have access to it the rats are never seen.

--
Chris Green )

geoff wrote:


Well fancy that, you've kept the cats out and the result is that
something else (normally kept away by cats) arrives instead.

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws) Weils
disease?

.... yes, but the presence of cats in the area definitely *does* keep
rats away. We used to get rats visiting our horse feed but now our
cats have access to it the rats are never seen.

--
Chris Green )

geoff wrote:


Well fancy that, you've kept the cats out and the result is that
something else (normally kept away by cats) arrives instead.

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws) Weils
disease?

.... yes, but the presence of cats in the area definitely *does* keep
rats away. We used to get rats visiting our horse feed but now our
cats have access to it the rats are never seen.

--
Chris Green )

geoff wrote:


Well fancy that, you've kept the cats out and the result is that
something else (normally kept away by cats) arrives instead.

It would be a brave and very hungry cat which attacked a rat defending its
young - I wonder if cats can contract (or transfer from their paws) Weils
disease?

.... yes, but the presence of cats in the area definitely *does* keep
rats away. We used to get rats visiting our horse feed but now our
cats have access to it the rats are never seen.

--
Chris Green )