I live in the country now, and have built this big beautiful garage. Problem is...I have mice in it. I put those sticky traps in there, but don't seem to be catching them. I don't know where they've nested, but its got to be in one of my boxes of car stuff...of which there's many. I'm adopting a young male cat to 'clean house' for me, and would like to put one of those little 'cat doors' in the wall.
My questions are;
*do any of you have garage cats?
*will skunks use the little door to invade the garage?
*will this cat 'spray' all over the place?
*is he gonna crawl up under the hood of my truck in the winter to keep warm?
*will he 'go' outside, or will I need a litter box?
*is this a good idea?

MR

 

I don't know about your neck of the woods but, my cats use the garage all the time. Actually, I prefer them there. I got tired of them being in the house cuz they couldn't seem to find their box. I leave my door open about 4 inches, left their food out their food out there and they come and go as they please. They come in the house for a drink and head right back out. The only down-side is that I have one that likes to bring in his "trophies" and leave them for me under my table. I could do without that.

 

I have two sister cats they sleep in the garage with my dogs, they sleep on the cars in the winter which is a pain, and they use the litter box and the flower beds. They were spayed at a young age and so far have not sprayed in the garage.

 

Try a snap-trap baited with peanut butter. Haven't failed to crush their cute little heads once this way. (the mice that is).

 

I have a cat door for the garage and so far no skunks, etc have invaded. I have had a couple of stray cats looking for food. A tom will spray unless you get him clipped. He should go outside to 'go' if there is no litterbox. I havent had one crawl under the hood yet in the garage, but I have seen it with a car parked outside. Usually mine will lay on the car hood for warmth.

Shove him in and out of the garage through the cat door a few times and he will figure out what it is for.

 

Like 76supercab2 says, Try a snap-trap baited with peanut butter. Put the sticky peanut butter on the underside of the trigger. They have to work harder to get to food and are more likely to set off the trap. Sneaky little critters will take cheese right off the trigger and not set it off.

 

Female cats are better mousers than males, if you had a choice. Males spray, females don't (it's a guy thing, territory marking). Spraying after neutering is not uncommon. Seems cats will use the litter box AND anywhere else they please, especially outdoors.

 

Put a nice heated cat bed in the garage and keep the old towels in it clean and the cat will probably use that rather than the hoods of cars etc. Put the bed up medium high in a corner and they will appreciate the "view". The only difference I have seen with females v males re mousing is that the males catch and eat rather than catch and release endlessly. Even neutered males spray and occasionally a female will mark her territory by urination. A cat door is easy to install and they work great. I never had any problems with skunks or possums but a raccoon came in once...

A friend of mine built a mouse-zapper from two 12"x12" sheets of masonite on 1" standoffs with a wire mesh on the inner sides connected to 120V. If you have cats around it would have to be larger or have sides and offset holes in them to keep their paws away from the grid. There was a hole in the center of the top sheet with a cover for baiting the trap with peanut butter. The top came off to remove the remains. I suppose you could provide overcurrent protection with a 100W light bulb wired in series in a closet light fixture mounted on top. Maybe the bulb would even light up....

I have heard that the current from an electric fence unit or bug zapper will kill a mouse also.

 

I bait my trap with peanut butter with good success, then set the little guy free in a nearby field.

Two reasons your cat will probably sleep on the hood of your vehicle. 1. Its warm. 2. They like to be up high.

You can buy a cat door that opens only for your cat. Your cat wears a special collar that carries the code to allow the door to open. They are a bit more expensive than the standard type.

Mike

 

Ever had a cat fall asleep inside your car's fan shroud? I was not a pretty sight or sound when the engine cranked! At least it wasn't our cat.

 

My siberian husky is a better mouser than any cat I've seen. The nice thing is unless you see him catch it there's no evidence there ever was a mouse. He eats them. No mangled bodies laying around to freak out anyone. The down side is he doesn't specialize. If your not canine or human your lunch.

 

Lay on the horn for a couple seconds and the cat will scram from under the hood. Of course a really loud horn may result in inverted dents in the hood and a cat with a splitting headache...

Cheers,
Eric

 

No cats allowed in my garage, period. There are several that live outside and around it though.
I had one that was quite well behaved and stayed in the garage. His favorite sleeping spot was on the seat of the Harley. Wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't discovered that he liked to sharpen his claws on it when he woke up. Out he went.
I hate it when cats get into my car. One apparently was asleep on top of my rear axle one morning. Stayed put as I backed out of the driveway and decided to jump out just as I put it in drive. Started my day very badly and ended his life very quickly.
During a cold snap they decided to sleep on my engine. On kitten took the 10 mile ride to work with me TWICE, sitting on top of the intake. For two months thereafter I had to open my hood first thing every morning to check and chase them out. The kitten survived just fine, but now has another home. Indoors.
I like cats and have had them around all my life. I do not want them in my garage or anywhere around my vehicles. Not because of somewhat annoying habits and mildly destructive behavior as much as because I don't enjoy burying them before their time.

 

There are several dog breeds that are good mousers. Dogs don't climb on the hood, get in the fan shroud, or need a litter box. Most dogs can fend for themselves very well with a little food and water help (so can cats) but the biggest issue for me would be the spraying. I have had a tomcat that was clipped and he continued to spray for over a year that i know of. Nothing against cats, cause I like all types of animals, but I resent the idea of making any accomodations that help something poop in my house.

 

Thanks for all your feedback. I'll know on Monday if I'm getting the cat or not. He just showed-up at a neighbor's house a couple of weeks ago, and she has too many animals. She's taking it to the vet on Monday to have it tested for feline leukemia. If he has a clean bill of health...he's mine. I have two indoor female cats, and have never had a male...so this could be a new experience. We used to have feral cats that hung around, and had no mouse problem, but they died from FL. This little guy is a lover, plus I saw him playing with a dead mouse in the neighbor's yard yesterday...So he's got the idea. I'll let you know what happens. If I get him...I gotta come up with a name...Any ideas?

MR