# Cat is bringing worms into the house - how do I stop her? :(



## blizeH (Nov 11, 2011)

Reading different things online, some people saying to scold her, and some people saying to ignore it.

We're going away soon so I want to try whatever possible to stop her from bringing in worms, so that our friends who look after her won't need to keep removing them and cleaning up  

Not letting her out wound be an option but our other cats are so used to going out through the cat flap I think trying to adjust them to multiple litters would be tricky.

Thank you


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## Gwen9244 (Nov 10, 2012)

Tilly does this. She is bringing you a present. I had read that whilst unpleasant you should praise their hunting skills.


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## blizeH (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks, but would that encourage her to bring in even more worms? Every evening she goes rummaging around for things to bring into the house


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Two of mine did this when they were young (when they first started to go out). OK, it's not wonderful, but worms really don't do anything...not like rats (adult or babies) which might end up in your laundry basket ...yes folks, it happened to me! I also remember getting home one day to a note from my son: ''Mum! there is a box in the drawing room. There is a baby rat in the box. Luther and Calvin were playing tennis with it and poor thing was really screaming so I caught it and managed to get it into the box. XXX D''. I thought that was a nice touch.


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## Gwen9244 (Nov 10, 2012)

blizeH said:


> Thanks, but would that encourage her to bring in even more worms? Every evening she goes rummaging around for things to bring into the house


It's the same as bringing in a dead mouse etc. They are sharing their kill with you. Tilly is so gentle with the worms that she doesn't bite through them.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

It does tend to be a phase and stops of its own accord. I don't think there's much you can do about it.


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## Jaf (Apr 17, 2014)

Be glad it's not a mouse and you don't find it a few days later rotting under your pillow!

I would just ignore it and hope it stops.


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## claire8234 (Mar 8, 2013)

​Not much you can do about i'm afraid, much rather a worm than a half dead mouse or pigeon (yes a giant, germ ridden, headless pigeon we had one day). It is what cats do whether you find it revolting or not lol.

Stitch hunts a lot, mainly mice which doesnt bother me. He doesnt bring anything in anymore, although he did, and frequently. I might find the odd bit of mouse remains outside that he hasnt eaten but nothing comes in the house now. Stitch is about 6. I expect Tommy will bring in all sorts when he is allowed out. Just make sure you worm your cat regularly x


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## claire8234 (Mar 8, 2013)

Jaf said:


> Be glad it's not a mouse and you don't find it a few days later rotting under your pillow!
> 
> I would just ignore it and hope it stops.


 yum! I've trodden on a disemboweled mouse once, left lovingly inside my garden clogs


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Blue regularly leaves me a mouse or rat. We have had birds and a random wing. I was upset about birds. 

We live surrounded by fields and have a stream so it's to be expected.


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## claire8234 (Mar 8, 2013)

bluecordelia said:


> Blue regularly leaves me a mouse or rat. We have had birds and a random wing. I was upset about birds.
> 
> We live surrounded by fields and have a stream so it's to be expected.


 I hate Stitch catching birds too, especially if he doesnt "dispatch" of them and leaves them under a bush, I've had to put a couple out their misery. Keeping him in at certain times helps a bit in the spring with the fledglings but thankfully he prefers meecers


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## Cookies mum (Dec 10, 2014)

Cookie brought in a slug! But I think that was accidental


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## Erenya (Jul 22, 2014)

i know it's annoying, but you need to think about things from a cat point of view, not a human.

To your cat, you are part of her family, you might be a weird sort of hairless cat, but to her, you're part of the same community. She loves you, but at the same time, she's kind of realised that as a big hairless cat you're a totally rubbish hunter. You don't bring in any prey at all. 

So she's first of all helping you. If you can't hunt she's going to provide for you, to help you out.

Secondly, she's training you. she's bringing in weak prey that you can kill, to help you lean to hunt. I know you don't want to, but she doesn't see it like that. 

She's a cat and she's giving you the greatest gift she can, she's proving and she's training. The fact is, you can't stop her doing this, it's hardwired into a hunter's system to behave in such a way.

I'd just be grateful that it's only worms and be happy that your cat loves you


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## claire8234 (Mar 8, 2013)

Cookies mum said:


> Cookie brought in a slug! But I think that was accidental


 bleurgh, I'd rather a half chewed meecer! My old cat Wally used to hunt down and eat house spiders


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## blizeH (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks for the replies guys - you're right that I'd much prefer her to bring in live worms that I can just take outside and set free again than dead mice or birds... But it's mostly the frequency that's the problem here  Also like I said I hate the idea of my friend looking after the cats and coming in to find a house full of works lol


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

Erenya said:


> i know it's annoying, but you need to think about things from a cat point of view, not a human.
> 
> To your cat, you are part of her family, you might be a weird sort of hairless cat, but to her, you're part of the same community. She loves you, but at the same time, she's kind of realised that as a big hairless cat you're a totally rubbish hunter. You don't bring in any prey at all.
> 
> ...


My cat used to do this with mice. She started bringing me back stunned but live mice. I would dutifully take them off her and Re release them. She would go back, catch them again and repeat...

I read somewhere that if you can demonstrate that you can catch dispatch and then consume your own mouse they will stop training you how to hunt. So whether or not this is true I decided to try it.

Stunned alive but knocked out mouse was presented to me so with apologies to the mouse I pretended to pounce on it ( didn't touch it), I picked it up and pretended to eat it ( lots of pretend chewing and nom nom nom noises) I then picked up mouse, popped it in a box,and, still pretending to eat it took the little thing into the woods and released the now awake mouse.

After that day I never got live mice delivered to me though sometimes left over mouse bums or wobbly internal bits on my door mat.

Boy cat never brings me mice. He just eats his himself.


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## Erenya (Jul 22, 2014)

blizeH said:


> Thanks for the replies guys - you're right that I'd much prefer her to bring in live worms that I can just take outside and set free again than dead mice or birds... But it's mostly the frequency that's the problem here  Also like I said I hate the idea of my friend looking after the cats and coming in to find a house full of works lol


i know, it's such a pain. it does seem anecdotally that female cats seem to do this more than the lads, maybe it's a procreation thing - would love to hear from people with male cats who do this. my lil girl Darwin brings us birds and mice, but mostly frogs. sometimes four a day. it's tough, I do feel for you.


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

OK weird idea and perhaps a little disgusting but how about collecting some of your own worms and presenting them to worm catching kitty to demonstrate that you are already an accomplished worm hunter and she doesn't need to fetch worms for you. It might just work ??


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## AmsMam (Nov 25, 2014)

kittih said:


> OK weird idea and perhaps a little disgusting but how about collecting some of your own worms and presenting them to worm catching kitty to demonstrate that you are already an accomplished worm hunter and she doesn't need to fetch worms for you. It might just work ??


Could be worth a try... Maybe hide some strawberry laces up your sleeve so you can fake the eating part too. 

Although I guess there is a risk she might just start trying to teach you how to catch something that moves a bit faster now you've cottoned on to the basics...


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Worms are coming to the surface of the soil a lot at present because the weather has been so wet. So it is easy for your cat to pick them up when she sees them sliding along the soil. Once the weather is drier (hopefully in the summer!) the worms will be burrowing down into the soil to get to the moisture further down so your cat won't be able to reach them.

You could put dry chipped bark all over the surface of the soil in your garden and the worms will probably stay underneath it, so the cat will be less likely to see them. Though if she sees the bark move she may get excited and poke her paw underneath.

Definitely do not scold her when she brings you a worm, just thank her and pick it up without a fuss. Do not let her see you put it back outside though, or she will think she has failed to please you, and will keep bringing you more gifts. Perhaps, just as @kittih did with her cat, pretend to eat the nice worm she has brought you!  And then when your kitty is not looking put the worm back in the soil.


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## MilleD (Feb 15, 2016)

I found a mouse's stomach on the floor yesterday morning. Dread to think where the rest of it might be.


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

She tries to teach you to hunt as good cat mum should. Your hunting skills need brushing up. Else how are you going to survive?
Maybe just explain to your friends why she does it...


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## huckybuck (Jan 17, 2014)

What about placing a little box somewhere and when she brings them in pop them in the box...leave them there for a while then dispose and put the box back. She may then learn where to put them when she brings them in so at least they are in one place and easy to dispose of. She does sound a clever kitty lol


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Wait until she brings you one of these. Our remarkable cat at the stables kills anything that moves. For reference (not boasting you understand!): the shovel measures 15" across.  He normally eats them, but as this was about the third of the day he left it for us (he knows we are too daft to catch them ourselves!) I think his motto is ''Worms is for wimps''. ROFL!


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

MilleD said:


> I found a mouse's stomach on the floor yesterday morning. Dread to think where the rest of it might be.


Sometimes they eat everything but leave some internal bits. I understand the gall bladder can taste bitter.


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## Jansheff (Jan 31, 2011)

Oh I do love this thread. Where else would you get adult sane human beings pretending to eat mice and hunt worms to keep their cats happy? 

A cat I had, Sophie, died 10 years ago (RIP) used to inadvertently bring slugs home. She had a low, swinging pouch of a belly and little legs. When she went out in the rain, she often returned with 4 or 5 slugs clinging to her fur.


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## Jackie C (Feb 16, 2016)

Jansheff said:


> Oh I do love this thread. Where else would you get adult sane human beings pretending to eat mice and hunt worms to keep their cats happy?
> 
> A cat I had, Sophie, died 10 years ago (RIP) used to inadvertently bring slugs home. She had a low, swinging pouch of a belly and little legs. When she went out in the rain, she often returned with 4 or 5 slugs clinging to her fur.


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## RubyFelicity (Aug 26, 2013)

Just be grateful its not a frog, bird or mouse. My 10 year old cat does this routinely and scolding doesn't make a difference.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

RubyFelicity said:


> >>>>>>> My 10 year old cat does this routinely and scolding doesn't make a difference.


Exactly. But praising her might make a difference.


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

Spotted the 11yo Charlie-girl haring round the garden like a kitten a couple of weekends ago, dancing up in the air, charging the full length of the grass, but mainly tossing around and battering a small blob. After a while I went out to see what was causing this unusual behavior, and yup - one very dead mouse. She'd been sitting watching a pile of garden rubbish awaiting the purchase of an incinerator with rapt attention for several days, so I reckon she had finally had her quarry. Left her to it - thankfully neither of mine seem interesting in bringing hunts home!


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## RubyFelicity (Aug 26, 2013)

chillminx said:


> Exactly. But praising her might make a difference.


I live with 5 people so I only deal with it 1/10th of the time because of the hours I work. So I couldn't praise him if I wanted to.


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## tinah_2007 (2 mo ago)

blizeH said:


> Thanks for the replies guys - you're right that I'd much prefer her to bring in live worms that I can just take outside and set free again than dead mice or birds... But it's mostly the frequency that's the problem here  Also like I said I hate the idea of my friend looking after the cats and coming in to find a house full of works lol


 My little fur ball Loki does the same thing on a daily basis. I have lovely little holes all over my garden where she digs for them 🤦🏽‍♀️ Like you I can’t say I like her doing it as she’s the only cat I’ve had that’s ever brought worms in but as she’s a cat I know it’s her way of telling me she loves me by bringing me treats. Some I manage to rescue but others I find either chewed or bit in half!!! Having had a cat that was great at catching and leaving half eaten mice all round the house I’ll settle for the worms 😂


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## blackislegirl (Mar 12, 2021)

I had never heard of a cat bringing in worms till I read this thread, or had a cat that did it (in over 40 years of having cats.)

Today I have found two worms in the utility room, one this morning and one this evening. The second one was definitely Tiger Lily's - she was sitting proudly beside it. Both worms were live and wriggly and quickly returned to the garden.

I know it has been very wet, but really, what is going on with the world? Have these cats got their own chat forum somewhere for swapping ideas?


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## Nealh (12 mo ago)

Mr Tom and even his late pal Button have never bought anything home bar the odd flea, Tigger has a thing for fishing out sodden leaves from water baths etc and likes to bring them in.


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## blackislegirl (Mar 12, 2021)

Yes, mine produced a huge sodden leaf yesterday too. My garden is covered in them, large fleshy leaves from the walnut tree.

They have only killed three birds this year. The birds have learned to stay away. Not even nice food on the bird table brings them down, as Tiger has learned to jump onto the bird table and sit there! Bit of a warning, that.

Curiously, two of the birds were taken when I was away on holiday. A magpie and a bluetit, from the cat carer's description. The poor bluetit was taken on the same day as a squirrel (ulp!) which the carer found butchered, with body parts in different places. ( Tiger Lily was playing with the hindlegs and tail on the upstairs landing!) The magpie was two days later. It was only the second squirrel caught in this garden, and I've been here for 27 years. I blame Bear. I think young Burmese males have a macho thing going with squirrels......

But anyway, why this killing spree when I was on holiday? I brought the carer a nice bottle of red wine and a huge bar of chocolate to thank her and cheer her up a bit.


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