Hi

I wanted some advise if poss. I live in a flat shared with one other person and I think there is a mouse so I wondered if we should get a cat, I love cats anyway and the landlord said I could if I look after it, the problem is there isnt a garden, there is a communal garden but it isnt that big really. The flat is on the 1st floor too so Im not sure if it will be able to get in and out and the flat itself is quite small and I dont want to keep the cat in all the time because I think they need some space outside. Do you thik its cruel to get a cat if I dont have a house with a garden?

No it's not cruel to keep a cat if you don't have a garden. A lot of cats are kept indoor as long as you can supply things to keep them entertained.

Personally I wouldn't get a cat just because you have a mouse. If you're cat is being fed properly it may not feel the need to catch and kill little mousey. When we had Boris he would catch and play with little mousey making it really stressed and possibly injured. To me that seems worse than an outright kill. Even then you would have to clean up the mess. They won't always eat the whole thing in a nice tidy manner, they'll leave you 'presents' like mouse head in your bed. For the mouse I would say you're better off getting a humane trap and letting him go somewhere nice.

If you're thinking get a cat to remove the mouse then I would say no. If you're thinking get a cat because you want a pet, then do your homework on cat care, get everything ready and then I would say yes. They're brilliant pets if you look after them right.

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If you had to put the top ten reasons for getting a cat and the first one is "to kill mice", then no, I don't think you should get a cat. The top reason should be "I love cats and would like to share my life with this precious being". Rodent extermination should come in at around #52.

Welcome to the forum


I for one wouldn't get a cat just because I thought I had a mouse .... if its anything like my cat, who runs away from spiders!! they wouldnt catch the mouse

I live in a flat, and have 2 cats who are purely indoor cats. It doesnt bother them in the slightest, they dont know any better. But you need to make sure you are happy keeping them in all the time, if you feel it's unfair, then perhaps you aren't ready for an indoor cat.

Maybe do some extra reading on the forums and you are bound to come across some threads debating indoor/outdoor cats, also threads on looking after indoor cats

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Hi and welcome to the forum .
On the info you have given I would say you probably shouldnt get a cat.If you want to have a cat,you have to want it as a cat not as a mouse catcher.It is very common now for cats to be kept as indoor pets ,IMO it is no longer a safe environment outside to allow free roaming.As you are not on the ground floor it would not be easy for a cat to access the outdoors so may become a problem to other flat dwellers.As swatton42 says catch the mouse and release it somewhere and then think whether you still want a cat.

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I lived in a flat when I had two cats. I also had a mouse in the flat. I wasn't aware of the mouse until I saw it coming out of the fire place where the cats were eating their breakfast. Both cats freaked out and were scared of it I picked one of them up and the other cat attacked me because he thought I was attacking her.....and the mouse lived on (which I was happy about!).

I then spoke to my neighbour about the mouse and she knew of it too. She said that the type of mouse that it was (I think a harvest mouse but can't remember) are actually protected, and so its illegal to kill them. That said, if they are killed by a cat I'm sure there's not much anyone can do about it because its a natural act...

Anyway I'm babbling! I think you also need to think about where you might be living in the future. If you are house sharing, I presume its not a permanent arrangement? In that case, are you more likely to move into another flat or house with garden? Are you likely to buy or rent? Many landlords won't allow pets and so if the decision arose, would you choose a new house over the cats? If so, I wouldn't get one.

You also need to consider your flatmate. If your flatmate doesn't like cats, it can make things very awkward. Where will you keep the litter tray?

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thanks a lot for your replys allready, I would like a little kitten as I have always liked cats expecially but I like all animals really even the little ones that freak me out, I just dont want to live with them. I dont really want to hurt the mouse but it can spread disease and I thought if it smelled a cat it might leave. I will look after the cat for sure anyway I would just like for it to be able to go on adventures outside as well. Thanks a lot for your advise

Thanks, its true, the other thing I need to do is talk to my flatmate which I havent yet, but he is usually not bothered about much- good point though. I am sharing now yeah but in the future I would like to move somewhere with a garden but I cant afford to byu yet so it will just be renting again. Im not sure what mouse it is but I live in a town- do harvist mice just live in the country or towns as well?

When we moved into my house (before I gots cats), there was a resident mouse. He was very bold and cheeky and screeched at me while I was watching TV. Later on I got my first cat who was, and always will be, hopeless at catching mice. However, the mouse eventually moved out. I think they do not like the cat smells plus the constant intimidation drives them away(rather like living next door to druglords, I suppose)

Have you thought of getting a humane mousetrap and releasing it round a park or common?

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