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THE LOBBY A gathering place. Introductions, sports, showin' off your ride, birthday-anniversary-milestone, achievements, family oriented humor. |
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#1
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Mouse traps vs. cat
Sounds like a joke ... but it's not. I've got a metal 40x40 shop in eastern WA. I get a lot of deer mice, I leave out 10 traps or so and probably average one mouse per day. These mice carry hantavirus and I want to reduce the number of mice in the shop.
Has anyone gotten a dedicated "shop cat" to deal with this issue? The previous owner had a cat that lived in the shop, so there is already a cat door. The way I look at it, there is a cat at the pound somewhere who is going to be euthanized, why not bring it to my shop and let it live out the rest of its life keeping mice out of my shop? My wife is a little worried about the cat pooping in her garden, and I'm a little worried about the cat peeing in my GTO. And we already have three house cats, so my wife will probably feel bad for the poor kitty that gets stuck living the outside life. And chances are, the coyotes will get the cat at some point, or a hawk, or whatever. But hey, if you were the cat, what would you rather have - a lethal injection, or a ride home with a nice family to a warm bed in a shop full of mice, even if the coyotes and hawks are out on the prowl? Thoughts? |
#2
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We have outdoor cats just for the purpose of catching mice etc.
If I was you, I would get a couple cats from the pound that are fixed and used to living outside. At least 2 is better so they have company. And give it a place for shelter when the weather is bad such as a dog (cat) house. Probably not a good idea to get an indoor cat and then force it to live outdoors though. I probably would not let the cat live in the shop, as they jump on everything, get hair all over the place, and could possibly make a mess to your car or other items. But cats are pretty effective, right now around my place the cats are eating a couple ground squirrels a day and a mouse here and there....they already took care of the ones on my property and are now venturing over to the neighbors and bringing the critters home to eat them. |
#3
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Steve,
Save a Cat. Cats are cool! Give a lonesome animal a loving home for what’s left of their life. Let them go out in nature and explore, while they are doing you a favor in your shop. My kitty years ago in training. Chris.
__________________
1) 65 GTO Survivor. 43,440 Original Miles. “Factory” Mayfair Maize Paint with Black Pinstripe, Black Cordova Top, Black Interior, OEM Numbers Matching Powertrain. Purchased from the Lady that bought it new. Baltimore Built (11A). 2) 66 GTO Survivor. “Factory” Cameo Ivory Paint with Red Pinstripe, Red Interior. OEM Numbers Matching Powertrain. Tri-Power (OEM Vacuum Linkage), Automatic "YR" code (1759 Produced). Fremont Built (01B), with the Rare 614 Option. |
#4
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Something I found by accident one winter (actually spring when I found it).
I had a metal drain pan that had tranny fluid in it. I left it under a car. In spring when getting car ready to move, I dumped the fluid and there must have been 20 dead mice (at least) in it. Probably one of the best years for not having mice in my pole building.
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John Wallace - johnta1 Pontiac Power RULES !!! www.wallaceracing.com Winner of Top Class at Pontiac Nationals, 2004 Cordova Winner of Quick 16 At Ames 2004 Pontiac Tripower Nats KRE's MR-1 - 1st 5 second Pontiac block ever! "Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts." "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." – Socrates |
#5
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Cats are natural height dwellers, speaking from experience if you have the cat or cats outside anywhere near your cars, guaranteed the cats will be on top of them. I had a barn cat get on top of my 67 Firebird laid on its roof with a cover on it, started down the back glass then slid off the closed trunk lid leaving scratches all the way down. Plus as stated cats will eat the mice then poop in your gardens in soft soil or mulch if you use it. Not worth the worry and expense of food, vet bills and damage. If you have dogs and they eat the cat poo they might get very sick and even die from the cat poop. I speak from experience. Outside cats get many diseases as well a big one is feline leukemia, and they contract worms from the rodents and birds they eat. Traps are a far better choice IMO.
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"BIG DADDY" VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnFIVLuwO9A ~MaryAnn~ AKA "Stickybuns" 1969 Firebird 400 Convertible 1978 Bandit T/A Tribute 1977 RED TA I'm the FiredUp PY bad girl |
#6
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5X_tfeFmuM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MZQCZasdOc try one of these |
#7
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Along those lines...
Quote:
__________________
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge |
#8
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We have a couple of feral cats that live around here. I would let them stay IF they would simply kill mice, but they don't. What they do is harass the songbirds I feed and crap/pea in my garage. I have two options: a live trap and take them to the animal shelter or a .22LR subsonic hollow point and bury the evidence. I live in the county, so shooting feral cats is actually encouraged by both the sheriff's department and INDOR. Decisions, decisions....
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“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Dr. Thomas Sowell |
#9
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Sticky traps!!!!!!!
I will say it again Sticky traps! They catch ANYTHING that moves! Keep them then by every door! Sometime they are just full of bugs, spiders geckos anything that moves! |
The Following User Says Thank You to gtokid1968 For This Useful Post: | ||
#10
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Quote:
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24 beer in a case. 24 Hours in a day. Coincidence? I think not. " Steve Wright" |
#11
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And chances are, the coyotes will get the cat at some point, or a hawk, or whatever. But hey, if you were the cat, what would you rather have - a lethal injection, or a ride home with a nice family to a warm bed in a shop full of mice, even if the coyotes and hawks are out on the prowl?
Thoughts?[/QUOTE] And what would you rather have, a lethal injection, or a warm bed with a shop full of food?? |
#12
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Depends on the cat's character. Some of them detest being left inside, rain or shine.
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#13
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Quote:
Never in my life saw a coyote go up a tree like a cat can.
__________________
"BIG DADDY" VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnFIVLuwO9A ~MaryAnn~ AKA "Stickybuns" 1969 Firebird 400 Convertible 1978 Bandit T/A Tribute 1977 RED TA I'm the FiredUp PY bad girl |
#14
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If my wife wasn't so allergic, I would have a cat(s) again. Grew up with them. Great animals, and yes, very effective hunters.
As for the cars, if they're super nice, then car covers will prevent cats scratching the paint. If they're drivers, let the cats loose. Most cats are fairly sanitary. The usually poo someplace away from their living area. You can always go the litterbox route, but it does necessitate cleaning it regularly. But the cats will use it. To your wife's concern, tell her cat poo will be good for the garden. I agree with your assessment. Get a cat(s) and save them from the Jesus juice @ the pound. Let them live the life the Lord created them to live, and serve their role. I vote Cat. Meow.
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Eric "Todd" Mitten '74 Bonneville 4dr Sedan (455/TH400/2.93 open) '72 LeMans GT (455/M-13/3.23 [8.5"] posi) '71 GTO Hardtop (400/TH400/3.07 12 bolt posi) ‘71 GTO Convertible (455HO/TH400/3.23 posi) '67 GTO Coupe (455/ST-10/2.93 posi) '67 Tempest Wagon (428/TH400/2.56 posi) Deuteronomy 8:3 |
#15
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If its a male cat, make sure its neutered. That takes care of the peeing problem at least.
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1969 Judge, 4-speed, CR/Parchment, Quasi-Survivor, #'s match - under restoration |
#16
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Lots of great opinions and ideas. I have a feral cat that has become some what tame? You can pet her a little and she walks around your legs, that's about it. No mice problems in the shop or squirrels outside. I would much rather have a cat sleep or walk on top of my car than have mice camping/crapping inside my cars! Biggest problem is other cats trying to fight their way into her territory. Had one pissing on my welder, he didn't make it very long!!! Traps and sticky pads work but not as good as a hungry cat. Good luck with your eradication!
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DragStarLeMans |
#17
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I have a feral cat that lives around my barn. I dont feed it, it was not mine I suppose a neighbor at one time abandoned it. We have named it P3, because its the third wild pussycat we have had. Doesn't really cause any problems, dont know if it eats mice, and we only see it occasionally. Personally I am a dog person and would not get a cat for mouse control, but I live in a rural area with lots of farms, and my grandfather was a dairy farmer. He always had barn cats so there must be something to it.
Only time I have seen a cat climb a tree was when being chased, but yes they do climb on cars. |
#18
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We had outdoor cats (with their own house) for years, until a pack of wild dogs tore down the house and killed the last cat.
I like cats! They are loads of fun to watch! Having said that, if you have them in with your cars, covered or not (unless you have covers made from 1/4 inch boilerplate) your cars WILL have scratches on the hood, and top. Any small sacks of parts left on your work bench will be turned over, and probably on the floor. Cats will use the litter box, but they won't dump it. Maybe you could contact the Department of Conservation, and bring in a family of owls for the mice Jon.
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"Good carburetion is fuelish hot air". "The most expensive carburetor is the wrong one given to you by your neighbor". If you truly believe that "one size fits all" try walking a mile in your spouse's shoes! Owner of The Carburetor Shop, LLC (of Missouri). Current caretaker of the remains of Stromberg Caburetor, and custodian of the existing Carter and Kingston carburetor drawings. |
#19
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Good idea if you also don’t like songbirds. They will decimate the song bird population....
Don |
The Following User Says Thank You to dhutton For This Useful Post: | ||
#20
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That only works until the cat realizes that the cover makes a good scratching post. On my custom Solstice cover I first noticed it on the "shark fin" antenna pocket. I welcomed that cat into my garage and that is what she did to me. Now she is back on the street.
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1969 Firebird 350 convertible, t-5, Carousel Red 2008 Solstice GXP 5speed manual, Sly 2008 Grand Prix, Ink Slate, Winter daily driver 2009 G8, Switchblade Silver, summer daily driver |
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