.webp){kind=logo}
Cats and dogs may have a historically complex relationship, but when teamed up, they keep rodents away, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher says.
That's good news for homeowners trying to keep the nuisances at bay and from spoiling food and potentially spreading disease, said Robert McCleery, a UF/IFAS associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation. His team of researchers found that the combination of dogs and cats reduced rodents from foraging in and around homes and storage buildings.They also studied the fear factor in the rodents. Researchers wanted to know if the rodents were afraid to forage with cats and dogs in the home.
Even if a mouse has never seen a cat before, he’ll turn tail when one is nearby. The researchers suspected that the rodents somehow sniff out their would-be assassins, but exactly what they smelled was unclear. Now, scientists have isolated the compound, one of a class of urinary proteins that are secreted by cats, snakes, and a variety of other predators. Mice have two different ways to pick up scents: their nose and a specialized organ inside their nose called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which helps them detect other mouse pheromones. Suspecting that VNO might help the rodents sniff out predators as well, researchers dropped cotton balls laced with either cat saliva, rat urine, or snake skin essence into the cages of both normal and mutant mice with inactive VNOs. The normal mice cowered in the corner, as if a predator were present.
The hunter
So, do cats really get rid of rodents? Most cats are instinctively natural hunters, stalking rodents, chipmunks, birds and other creatures with equal abandon. If they can see a rodent, there’s a good chance they’ll attack. However, cats often don’t have access to the areas where rodents are nesting, such as walls, crawlspaces, deep inside cupboards and other spaces. Also, some cats are afraid of mice, while others might just see them as playthings. Much of that depends on the personality of the cat. Cats can also unfortunately get fleas, ticks and other parasites from catching and eating mice, while rats can often grow large enough to be a threat to a hunting cat, and nobody wants their cat to be sick or hurt. Additionally, mice reproduce so quickly that your cat may not be able to keep up- a female mouse can have a litter of 4 to 12 pups every three weeks.
Wag the dog
Most people don’t relate rat control with dogs. However, you’ll be surprised to learn that dogs are as good and fierce with all types of rodents as cats are. While cats sometimes have an indifferent attitude, dogs are territorial and loyal. They tend to want to please their owners as much as is possible. This means if you train your dog to catch mice and rats in your home, then you’re guaranteed to get the results you’re looking for.
Good rat dogs like the Scottish Terrier and the Jack Russell Terrier can catch rats in the outdoors and yes, dogs can kill rats. There are certain breeds that were specially created to control the rat population. The terrier breeds are not only cheerful and loyal companions, but they can also be a great help if you have problems with rodents. These dogs will give their best to make their owner (and ancestors) proud by eliminating the unwanted pests. Sometimes, even a rat control team can't catch a rodent as fast as a dog can. Terrier comes from the word "terra," which means earth, and they were bred to hunt rodents and other tiny animals that live underground. These dogs all have small bodies and surprising amount of energy, and they can quickly dig up a hole in order to catch their prey. There are some other dog breeds which are pretty good rat catchers, but the Terriers are definitely a majority.
