Do cats keep rats and mice away?

If you have a cat, then you are probably quite sure and familiar with the fact that these felines love to hunt down mice and rats. They love the chase. Small critters like these rodents are an especially appetizing treat to track down and catch. In fact, many cats will eat the mouse or rat once they have caught them because they find that the conquest makes for the ultimate meal.



Whenever you may come across someone who has an issue with mice or rats it is likely that your advice to them would be to get a cat to be able to assist in getting rid of these little rodents. This is the most common advice that one will find when they are facing an issue with mice or rats in their home. All they have to do is get a cat and the problem will be resolved. This leads to the question, do cats keep rats and mice away?

That is a very interesting question. We know that cats will track down, catch, and even kill these rodents, but do they have an effect on keeping them away from your house? Well it may not seem like it, these are really two totally separate issues. The capturing and killing of these rodents is significantly different than deterring them from being in your house altogether. This is likely where people make a very common mistake.

Rats and mice will come to your home for two reasons. First of all, if there is a good source of food you can be sure that they will want to set up residence within your house. Every animal is looking to ensure that they can get an adequate amount of food, and if there are sources that they can find in and around your property then you can be sure that they will be sticking around.

The second reason that a rat or a mouse would come to your home is to find a place for itself to stay. A lot of times the walls of your home or the under foundation make for a perfect place to find shelter and safety from predators that may come after them. In fact, it is these very shelter areas that likely deter your cat from having any access to them. Your cat is very unlikely to be able to get under your house or in the walls, so the mouse or rat would be safe there.

The problem for this creature is when it comes out into the open. Then it is fair game to the cat. The rat or mouse is not scared away from your home by the cat, but will be much more cautious about coming out to search for food. Read more: Rat Control, Get Rats Out of the Attic, Rat Trapping, Rats in the Ceiling, Rat Feces.