Author Topic: Am I nuts?  (Read 4478 times)

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Offline Pookie

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Am I nuts?
« on: July 29, 2011, 04:17:02 PM »
Wasn't sure where to put this, but this particular forum seemed appropriate.

1-2 months ago, Pookie caught a mouse in my basement.  Before I could get it away from him, he ate it.  He'd never done that before, and it got me wondering if I could give him feeder mice.  Well, today I was in PetCo and saw where the pinkies and fuzzies are.  I ALMOST bought one just to see if he'd eat it.  I actually HAD MY HAND IN THE FREEZER.  The only thing that stopped me were the packages that they come in seemed empty, so I didn't know if there was anything in there.  Okay, that, and I felt my stomach get a little queasy.  But I think if it had seemed like the little packages weren't empty, I might actually have bought one.

Have I just completely lost my mind or what?
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2011, 04:23:36 PM »
Since we don't have a "Live Animal Food" section...this area seems good.  :)

I can definitely see where you would be tempted!!!!  What if Pookie decided it would make a great friend, instead of a meal?  lol

People feed live food to snakes all the time.  I wouldn't have the stomach for it, but...
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Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2011, 09:49:33 PM »
You are not nuts.
(no, really, not at all.... nurse1 )

Hee hee, kidding aside, feeder mice are a perfectly acceptable addition to a raw food diet.
In fact, mice are considered the "perfect" food for a cat.

I've been able to get the furmonsters to eat the occasional pinky, but haven't really persisted beyond that stage...
I'd like to be able to give them at least 2 mid-sized mice a week... eventually...

IMO, the Big Pet Store Corps charge waaaaayyyy too much for them.
I have a friend who goes to a supplier for his reptiles.  They sell pinkies in bulk for much less.

Starting out with pinkies is probably best.  They are not the most nutritive, but good for introduction to something new.
IF you decide to pursue this avenue, I recommend chatting with your local reptile experts.  The one my friend introduced me to is very particular about where he gets his supply.  He's very passionate about his reptiles and their health, so he is picky about what he feeds them.  He chose a company that feeds their mice a natural diet.


... What are we going to do today, Brain?
... Same thing we do every day, Pinky.... try to take over the world!
  :D



ETA:  Unless you (or someone you know) raises their own, it's actually pretty difficult to get live feeders; they're usually sold frozen.

.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2011, 10:04:29 PM by FurMonster Mom »
meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2011, 09:35:10 AM »
Pookie may need to be de-wormed, cats get roundworms, hookworms and a different type of tapeworm from eating self caught rodents.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2011, 11:35:53 AM »
Someone I work with has a pet snake, so I'd asked her where she gets his feeder mice.  She told me PetCo or PetSmart (note:  those are frozen, not live.  There's NO WAY I'd be feeding him a live mouse.  Knowing him, he'd probably think it was a new toy and I'd have a mouse running around my house.  Uh uh, no way).  I was thinking of just getting either 1 pinky or 1 fuzzy, just to see if he'd even eat it.  But I couldn't quite bring myself to buy one.  And after looking at the price, it wouldn't be a regular meal for him anyway.

Side note:  I don't know anyone else who has reptiles, but I think Hare-Today may sell mice.  I don't shop on-line, though.  I did wonder if he would eat grasshoppers, too, if I could find those in a store.  Okay, I really have lost my mind.

For now we'll stick with the canned, and raw gizzards/hearts.  But who knows, I may actually work up the nerve to buy a pinkie or fuzzy and see if he'd eat it.  Oh, what have I become??   funny2
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2011, 11:45:49 AM »
Your first post definitely said you had your hand in the "freezer" at the pet store.  Guess my little brain was still stuck on Pookie catching a live mouse... originally.  Sorry.
I would have issues purchasing food named "pinkie" and "fuzzy."   :D  BUT...I worthygif to you, if you can do it!   
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Offline Auntie Crazy

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2011, 01:58:19 AM »
Lots of raw feeders feed whole prey menus; they are considered to be the top of the line diet. You can get pretty much everything you need - as long as you have the financial resources - at RodentPro.com; rats, mice, guinea pigs, chicks, quail, etc.

Feeding live whole prey, however, is strongly discouraged. It's exceedingly cruel to the prey and your cat could get hurt in the process (mice and rats bite HARD!).

I have about 100 or so mice left in my catfood freezer right now. I don't know when, if ever, I'll feed them, though, because several of my cats have to be enticed to eat the mice by committing pretty heinous acts upon their furry little bodies (the mouse bodies, not the cats'!) and after only a few weeks of doing so, I realized that it's just not something I'm prepared to do on a regular basis.  Doh1 

I've been tempted lately to try again, but haven't quite gotten there yet. LOL! If I do, I'll let you guys know how it goes.

AC
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2011, 02:31:10 PM »
Pookie,
How is the frozen mouse meal going?  How many does Pookie eat a day?  Does Pookie eat the entire mouse? 

Auntie Crazy,
Did you decide to give it another try?
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2011, 03:57:56 PM »
What timing, Lola!

Well, I did eventually buy a pinkie and fuzzy.  I started with the pinkie and tried very hard not to look at it when I put it on his dish.  He didn't quite know that he should eat it, so I had to point at the thing a couple of times and tell him to eat it, and he finally did.  Same with the fuzzy.

About a month ago I caved and bought 2 packages of adult feeder mice (3/package).  I finally thawed 2 this week and he got mouse #1 on Monday.  Pookie decided to play hockey with it!   Doh1  He knocked it around the kitchen and into the dining room, so I picked it up (with a paper towel) and put it back on his plate.  He played hockey again, so again I put it back on his plate and then sprinkled some Eagle Pack on it.  That made him realize it was food and yes, he ate the whole thing.

I gave him mouse #2 the next night and this time, thank heaven, no "mouse hockey."  He ate it all, no Eagle Pack needed.  So far, so good -- he hasn't had any problems, knock on wood.  I still have 4 more to be thawed, but it'll be a few days before I feed them again.  I have to confess, my stomach felt a little queasy both times, and after he ate I didn't really want to touch him for fear of getting "mouse germs."  Maybe I'm a wuss, but . . .

I have to say, I'm amazed at how well he digests them.  His poops are the same size.  I'd thought they'd be bigger.

Anyway, that's the"dish!"   :D
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2011, 04:01:38 PM »
Re-read the thread and just really saw AC's comment about also feeding guinea pigs, chicks, etc.  I'm not sure I could handle that, since just feeding the mice made my stomach a little "off."  But then again, I got used to feeding chicken hearts/gizzards, so maybe I'll get used to feeding the occasional mouse and move on to other things.

MC, just saw your comment about Pookie possibly getting worms from the live mouse he caught/ate.  I brought a stool sample with me to his annual vet visit and it was clean, so I think he's ok.  Thanks, though!
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2011, 05:54:49 PM »
Pookie's Mom,
Thanks for the update and answers to my questions.  Is the mouse one meal, and then you feed something else for another meal the same day?
Is there a reason you (or anyone) wouldn't want to feed a mouse every day...other than variety maybe?
I checked out the prices at the link Auntie Crazy provided (www.RodentPro.com) seems like their prices are reasonable.  ??
I'm lauging about "playing hockey," but ONLY because it didn't happen in my home.   Bumpurr1
I can CERTAINLY understand you not wanting "mouse germs" from Pookie.  Funny, but I definitely get it.  Hard to believe I do allow cat and dog kisses ...even if they just finished licking their butts. 
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2011, 09:03:15 AM »
Breakfast and dinner are grain-free wet, and before bed I either give him a little more wet, or raw chicken hearts/gizzards.  This time the mice were his "bedtime snack."   :D

I have no idea how many mice he would need to eat in 1 day.  Someone posted a formula on Catster but frankly, my head hurt when I looked at it.   :-[  I was thinking of feeding the mice regularly to help clean his teeth, but we'll see.  I've been wanting to try raw chicken wingettes but wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the bone.  I'm guessing if he can eat a whole adult mouse, though, that he can handle a wingette.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2011, 11:33:21 AM »
Thanks.  I also am looking more for a teeth cleaning type of food.  Not so much to replace canned wet food, at this time.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2011, 01:02:51 PM »
Saw this question and answer at feline-nutrition and couldn't help but think of you, Pookie!   :P

snip...

Quote
I have two new kittens and I want to add whole prey foods to their diet. I purchased some frozen mice, which I thawed out and gave to them. They went wild over the mice, but only played with them. How do I get the kittens to take the next step and actually eat the mice?
 
I do have an answer for you, but you're not going to like it.
 
Kittens, like many predatory animals, have to be taught to hunt, kill and eat their prey. They know some of it by instinct, as demonstrated by your kittens. They knew that the mouse was something good, hence their enthusiasm, but they hadn't been taught what to do next. If they had been taught by their mother, she would have brought them freshly killed prey and shown them that it was good to eat. They would see her eating it and done the same. They learn by being copy cats.

The answer is fairly obvious within the link provided...

http://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-take-a-deep-breath-and-cut-the-mouse-in-half

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Offline Amber

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Re: Am I nuts?
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2011, 04:58:38 PM »
If you are, so am I. I few months ago, I bought a feeder mouse for Amber to try out. She showed no interest in it whatsoever, which did not suprise me. Se doesn't really eat the mice she catches for herself, she just kills them. Even after I, um, exposed the meat a little so she would know what it was, she didn't want it, so I gave it to the dog.

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