Time has come to get a house cat.

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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We are starting to have mouse problem in my house and I think best solution would be getting a cat. But the problem is I don't know which one to get. We have 2 1/2 years old boy at home and my wife and I am not exactly a cat person(we think). We are more of dog family as we grew up with several at younger years. We were going to get a dog down the line but we agreed on no pets in near future upon arriving in DR. But there isn't enough of that sticky trap or mouses are just too smart for 5 pairs of traps I bought and used. I wonder if cats are generally all same? And is all cat good with young children?

My parents despise cats but I really don't care as long as it's good with kid and can raise one easily with low maintenance.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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We've had both, and cats are definitely less maintenance.

As far as the mice, you're limited because of the baby. Otherwise there are good poisons that could be used. Are we talking little mice, or rats? Have you actually seen them?
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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I have seen a mice but I guess there could be mixture in our house. One of em just chew through a kitchen cabinet door while my wife was in states and I was working. Yesterday I cleaned the cereal it decided to eat, cabinet peices it chewed and its dropping.
 

AlterEgo

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Koreano, if it chewed through a cabinet door it sounds like a rat. If your child is in States with wife, go buy rat poison - Tres Pasos [spelling????]
 
May 29, 2006
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There are several designs like this on YouTube.

Tippy lid bucket mouse trap - YouTube

The key to mouse control is to hit them very hard for at least a week(two is better). If you just have a trap or two around the house, they can breed fast enough to recover.

I had a mouse problem at a summer camp once and we used something called "tin cats." We caught up to 20 mice a night in them. Part of what you have to do is to clean any entryways well then sprinkle AJAX where they might go. They lick their feet and then avoid that entryway. Cleaning also removes their scent trails, which bring in other mice.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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tres pasitos it is called and i would never get that in a house with kids, apparently the stuff looks just like sugar.

anyway, a cat. no problem with cats and kids. cats avoid kids unless they grow up together. a small scratch as a kid pulled the tail or something is a normal part of life and nothing to worry about.

bred in sosua always has some cats. he's a catman. you could get a kitty - good chance of building the love between the kitty and the baby that will last. or a bigger cat who knows the ropes, so to speak.
 

vida

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Mar 18, 2010
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I had a rat problem. I had never had a cat. I bought a siamese kitten about six weeks old. It was already trained by its mother to use a litter box. The best thing I ever did. There has not been a rat from day one. I did not want to use poison because other people in my building have pets and children. I am fortunate that I have an apt on the top floor with a private terrace above the apt. The cat can only roam on my property.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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cat poo can be dangerous for toddlers

common misconception. the biggest cause of toxoplasmosis is uncooked meat and dirt (as in earth in the garden). cats are minor contributors and only if you let the cysts develop. so if you scoop the poo every day there is no prob.
 

TP666

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Sep 6, 2005
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MOUSE poo is pointy - rat poo is blunt mouse 1/2 oz rat up to 2 lbs
Mine does a great job living with my 2 pits Mice are stupid and playful rats are smart and wary
 

malko

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Jan 12, 2013
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Hi, my cat comes to sleep during the day and he s out at night, never thought to give him a litter. I had poo on bathroom floor one time stuck his nose in it and now he does outside. I had a mouse or 2 once, never again with the cat and he scares the lizards and insects out of the house. AllI do is feed him once a day and stoke him twice a day..... and he gets on well with the 3 dogs. Cats are great....
 

Rep Dom

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Dec 27, 2011
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No good to use poison. Chemical rubbish which is dangerous for environment, kids, other pets... And it's cruel for the mice and rats which remember have the same nervous system as ours... Cat is perfect. Will keep them away from the house and will happy to live among your familly.
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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My neigbor in Boca Chica has about 20 also kittens, let me know if you want one
Thanks frank...
I've asked my employees and they will be happy to share one of their's. I do have a person passing by that way for a tournament in Metro today and tomorrow but I'll wait and see what my employee comes up with first.
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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Cat is perfect. Will keep them away from the house and will happy to live among your familly.
It looks like everybody's agreeing a cat is much better then rats poison or that sticky stuff.

Poison isn't an option as my wife and son is back from State and I've caught mouse several months ago on that sticky stuff, but isn't that much of fun. It just feel suck, listening to it squeaking and I didn't really want to get messy, but ended up killing it. And I've seen that bucket and peanut butter trap but what's the point of catching one to set it free, Unless you hate your neighbor and let it go on their property. ;)
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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BTW: get two cats, siblings preferably. They can keep themselves entertained and also do group hunts.

Mice and cockroaches will be a thing of the past...
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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gotta watch out when they eat the roaches. roaches can carry tapeworms. use de-worming meds. Poison is also a problem because the critter will crawl back into the walls, and die there... the resulting stink is BAD... esp. for rats (bigger than mice). a few times over the years I've had problems, and the most effective control has been the simple classic spring loaded mouse or rat trap. use a bunch of them in the likely areas and tend to them a couple of times a day, esp. evening and morning. it takes a little while, but pretty soon you'll have it under control.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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gotta watch out when they eat the roaches. roaches can carry tapeworms. use de-worming meds. Poison is also a problem because the critter will crawl back into the walls, and die there... the resulting stink is BAD... esp. for rats (bigger than mice). a few times over the years I've had problems, and the most effective control has been the simple classic spring loaded mouse or rat trap. use a bunch of them in the likely areas and tend to them a couple of times a day, esp. evening and morning. it takes a little while, but pretty soon you'll have it under control.

True about the spring traps. They're available in every supermarket. In DR they're giant size and they WORK. We put a bit of cheese on the trap, secured with dental floss so they can't get it off without springing the trap.

When I say 'we', I mean 'he' :laugh: I won't touch them before, during or after the capture.