Lazy Cat? He's Helping More Than You Know
If the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” holds any weight, it’s best to have a fat cat on the premises, even if it is lazy by nature. Your cat counts as effective defense against pest problems, specifically mice and even other rodents.
Granted, not all cats are guard cats… so what can the most diva feline offer in the way of fierce protection against pests?
More than you think…
Can Your Cat Conquer Pests?
As it turns out, even the laziest of cats can, if not conquer, then at least contribute to pest prevention on your property.
Whether your cat is on constant patrol or literally lays around all day, just the very presence of a cat on the premises can send a serious signal to any pests eager to explore the premises.
How do cats, no matter their behavior, deter mice from moving in on your property?
One word: pheromones.
Research shows that just the smell of cats in and around your home deter mice and other rodents. This remains true even if your cat stays indoors all year. In fact, some studies suggest that “mice are conditioned to turn in the opposite direction when they smell cat urine.”
Actually, the reaction to the pheromones in cat urine can be so strong in some mice that “when a pregnant mouse smells cat urine, the animal aborts its fetuses or gives birth to a smaller litter.”
In other words, the presence of cats proves very stressful to mice, even if they don’t actually ever encounter the cat.
However, while having a cat around certainly helps, there is a reason that the Tom & Jerry cartoon series lasted nearly 30 years. The fact is, a cat alone will never be enough to manage a mouse problem on your property.
So, what’s the solution? And is it really that bad to have mice in your house?
Well, yes. And here’s why…
Make a Move Against Mice
Even if as a kid you rooted for Jerry the mouse to prevail against Tom the cat, you don’t want to give shelter to Jerry or any of his offspring and for very good reason. Their rapid reproduction rates mean that a single mouse sighting actually represents an on-site population of dozens, at the very least. And we mean very. One female mouse can produce between five and ten litters annually; each litter averages six to eight pups.
On top of that, their ability to transmit diseases like hantavirus, listeria, and salmonellosis is legendary. It’s important to understand that you don’t need to encounter a mouse to be at risk for the diseases they can carry. Often, it’s their droppings, urine, and nesting materials that pose the greatest threat.
Additionally, mice can wreak havoc on the physical structure of your home, thanks to their tendency to gnaw on electrical wiring and propensity to build their nests in your home’s insulation. What’s more, mice can damage drywall, concrete, wood, rubber, aluminum and, in a very scary hypothetical scenario, gas lines.
While there are all sorts of rodent control measures you can try in an effort to rid your home of mice, none of them top professional pest management. You might think that baits, traps, and even rodenticides will get the job done but each of these comes with its own setbacks.
Effective exclusion is a better target for your DIY efforts, which means that you need to carefully inspect your home for any potential access points. These can be any cracks, holes, or weak spots around the foundation of your home, as well as trouble zones like air ducts and crawl spaces, and chimneys, doorways, pipes, roof vents, and windows.
Rather than obsess over any possible points of entry into your home, why not leave the rodent control to the pros? Our team is expert at identifying and anticipating areas of concern in and around your home when it comes to mice infestations. In other words, we know how to think like a mouse so you don’t have to.
Let us partner with the Tom (cat) in your house by providing expert rodent control you can count on. Contact us today to get started!
