What prompted this topic today?  This morning, I got a call from my mom who was very upset because she saw a mouse in her house. She doesn’t have any pets but I suggested that maybe she should adopt a kitten or cat. The problem is, my mom doesn’t want to take care of any pets so I guess she’ll have to deal with the occasional mouse in her house.  Generally the scent of a cat, even one that’s a crummy mouser will keep mice away.  In the past, I lived in an apartment building that got infested with mice. They were everywhere, except in my apartment because I had a cat. All of my neighbors saw mice in their apartments but those litter buggers stayed away from mine. I’m sure that this was no coincidence. My cat’s scent kept them away. I own a mobile home in Delaware. It’s very common to see a mouse in a mobile home but over the past eight years, I never saw one because most of the time, my cats come with me when I go down there.

In the past,, mice and rats have evolved a strong aversion to the smell of cats and other predators; laboratory-bred rodents hundreds of generations removed from the wild will freak out upon catching a mere whiff of cat.

So if you are bothered by mice in your home, consider adopting a cat.  They make wonderful companions and also provide protection from a big, hungry, vicious mouse!

Remember, your pets count!