Re: TB: Pests: Discouraging Cats, mousetraps

Two cents worth again (if that).

Sounds like a good idea to me, if you use the old fashioned kind, and make
sure they aren't rat traps (too big).  I set rodent traps routinely, and
the cats were always getting into the mouse traps.  It has never physically
hurt them at all (probably smarts though - stick your finger in one if you
want a demonstration - I've done that more times than I care to admit too,
but not on purpose), but they learn quick to avoid them.  The occasional
stubborn kitten will have to push the issue a few times, and might even
make a game of it for a while.

If you are worried about hurting animals, you can loosen the springs one
rotation (or stretch them) and they will still snap, but probably won't
even hurt the mice.

On the flip side, if you have mice, and catch some in the traps, they might
attract the cats (don't bait them, but sometimes they catch a mouse
anyway).  They can catch little birds when out in the open too, but I've
never gotten a bird in an unabaited trap.

Dogs will carry the traps away and play with them.  Wood rats will carry
them off and add them to their nests.

As far as hurting me, mouse traps just smart.  The rat traps haven't done
any real damage either when I've been careless, but they will raise a nice
bruise.  Luckily the gopher traps have never gotten me yet (I'm more
careful with those), but that's getting off the subject.

Dave

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