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Any long-time cat owner has likely received unexpected gifts from their feline friend at some point or another, whether it’s a dead mouse or other animal remains. While these carcasses are revolting to the human eye, to a cat, gifting their owner with these mouse remnants is a friendly gesture of care and concern.
Cats enjoy playing with mice before enjoying their meal. Sharing their prey with their owner is a cat’s way to say, “ I love you,” but that doesn’t mean you should not ignore the unfortunate reality that a festering and decaying mouse is in your sanctuary.
If your cat is leaving mice around the house, it’s time to take action. Otherwise, your cat may inadvertently expose your home’s residents to diseases like Salmonella, hantavirus, or Lyme disease. Instead of furiously scolding your feline friend, you’ll need to take more logical measures to prevent these occurrences. For example, you can contact an exterminator who performs pest control in Nashville or your city of residence.
Is that a mouse?
Along with dropping mice at their owners’ feet, cats also leave mice lying around the house. Accidentally stumbling upon an animal carcass is an unpleasant surprise for any homeowner, making prevention necessary in any household.
When cats leave dead mice lying around, worsening odors should be a primary concern, especially if your cat is known to hide its prized possessions in inconspicuous spots around your home. Whether your cat stores these dead mice out in the open or under your armchairs, these decaying remnants can attract pests like cockroaches and ants and cause messes you’ll have to clean-up later on. No pet owner wants to dispose of a rotting carcass and expose themselves to harmful bacteria thriving in the body cavity. To avoid being doomed with this task, invest in your home’s pest control strategy.
Before you punish your cat for dragging around this dead animal, remember this behavior is perfectly normal and hardwired into their instincts. Nothing’s wrong with your cat. They’re simply natural-born hunters, and mice happen to be on their list of ideal prey.
Cats and mice are enemies. It’s no secret. So while pet owners might initially react with disgust and frustration at first sight of this decaying mouse, cats use these dead mice to express their appreciation for you. Take a deep breath, and remember your cat isn’t trying to spite you. It’’s simply following its instincts. With this information in mind, you can respond in a way that doesn’t startle your beloved companion.
Where did the mouse come from?
The real concern for homeowners is where the cat found the mouse. Inevitably, mice will scurry around outdoors. If you own an outdoor cat, your pet might have spotted the mouse in your backyard, under the house, or even running through a nearby field. If your cat is an indoor cat, this dead mouse should be a greater cause of concern, as your pet likely located the rodent in your basement or other living spaces.
It’s in your best interest to reach out to pest control experts such as Moxie Pest Control in these cases. Upon request, their team of professionals will apply commercial-grade pesticides and install traps around your home if your indoor cat leaves a mouse or several mice lying around.
DIY mouse control
There are several steps homeowners can take if their cat exhibits this behavior and leaves mice lying around the home. To prevent a rodent from invading your home, inspect the home for possible entry points as a first step. Expect to find a few entry points in various locations around the house, such as unsealed doors, cracks in your walls, holes in your foundation, etc.
To avoid overlooking any entry points, carefully inspect every nook and cranny of the house. Once you identify the entry points, seal them accordingly, or you’ll experience infestations for months on end without resolve.
DIY pest control solutions can be time-consuming, cost-inefficient, and often fail to provide the same results as professional pest control services. Because mice are problematic to homeowners in many ways, you’ll need to invest the time and resources necessary to exterminate these pests successfully.
For one, mice pose a threat to your home’s structure, as they eat away at wood, flooring, drywall, furniture, and other surfaces. Mice are also known to gnaw at your personal belongings and can even sneak into unsealed food containers. Most worrisome of all, these vermin carry various diseases that they can transmit to your human residents. To prevent your loved ones from contracting life-threatening infections such as Salmonella, seal all entry points.
Once you seal these cracks and holes, homeowners should set bait and traps to catch the mice residing inside your home. Because vermin flock to untidy and debris-infested conditions, it’s a good idea to clean up the house and maintain a standard of sanitization that can ward off these disease-transmitting household pests.
Mice thrive in environments where food is easily accessible to them. When choosing a location to set up camp, these pests hunt for ample food supplies. With this in mind, be sure to store all snacks in air-tight containers and tidy any loose crumbs after eating. In addition to your DIY preventative measures, contact a professional pest control service that can eliminate these household pests once and for all.
Benefits of professional pest control
On average, homeowners in Nashville spend $450 for pest control treatments in their homes. Some households pay less for service, while other homeowners pay more. The size of the house and the severity of the mouse infestation will determine the price.
Professionals ensure complete mouse extermination, something DIY methods often can’t provide. These pest control experts know what to look for, where to look for it, and the proper techniques to exterminate any mice living in your home, no cat necessary.
Because these pest control providers eradicate any property-destroying mice from your home, their services are worth every second it takes to make a call and schedule a consultation. With the added peace of mind, these regular treatment services are worth every penny they cost.. Don’t allow mice to expose your loved ones to life-threatening diseases for another day. When you contact professional pest control experts, help is on the way.
