Chasing Cats

My cat loves chasing things - a few flies got into the apartment, and he's been going crazy for, like, two hours trying to run them down. So I got to thinking, the flies are sort of hard, because they have an advantage with being able to fly, but what if I got some crickets and let them loose, so he could chase them down? And why stop there - would it be okay for me to buy some white mice and let them loose in the apartment?
- J.

Don't let anything loose in your apartment that you don't want to see chewed up and deposited in front of your bedroom door. Cats are great for catching mice, but they're also great at chewing them up and leaving them for you as gifts, which... well, ew.

Cats are actually astonishingly good at keeping themselves occupied, so if you run down to your local pet store and find some little (fake) mice and throw them to your cat, he'll be occupied for hours. (Catnip mice are especially fun.) Or, even better: we found these remote control mice -- all the fun of real mice, but without the mess!

So, we'd advise against letting live things loose in your apartment, unless you really want crickets hopping around in your underwear drawer.

Related: Ask Gothamist on how to catch unwanted mice in your apartment.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Erin O'Brien in Miscellaneous on June 3, 2004 11:12 AM

Comments [rss]

Spooky

A great way to CALL the un-callable cat? Why not use reverse-cat-pyschology? Get a laser-pointer from your local dollar store for $1.00. Whenever you want your cat to come here or go there, use the red spot to get its attention. Then guide it towards the target you want it to go! Its like remote control. And if you also use a verbal command everytime you just might make the feline respond to verbal commands if it is young enough to be trained. Maybe it might work with older cats too.

So the next time you want your cat to get close enough to your feet so you can bend down and pick 'em up... just point the laser from where it is to where you are - no waiting for it to make its mind up. It will never know that you tricked it to coming when being called like a dog! And yes they love playing chase the laser-pointer dot too.

Spooky

heather

One word: boxes. My cat has endless hours of fun with just one box. She's had one little Hobo Box laying around for about a month now. Boxes, paper bags, foil balls... cats are cheap.

lorna

Watch out for rubber bands! They can be deadly to a cat. The twisty ties on garbage bags and breads are dangerous too.

Alison

I couldn't agree with Patrick more. I got a laser pointer for my cat about a month ago, and he's completley addicted. He's only about a year old, hyper and confined to the apartment. It really helps him get some excercise and even better wears him out so he doesn't meow all night long.

Patrick

The thing about cats is, they learn amazingly quickly. My roommates' cat, who was 4 mos. old last June, started out trying (and failing) to catch flies in my our apartment. By July he was not only catching them, but getting bored of it.

P.S. Laser pointers seem to be an endless source of amusement.

Jen

J., you're crazy if you think getting mice for your cat to chase and KILL is a good idea. Who are you, God? If you want your cat to chase mice, either move into an infested apartment or move the cat outside.