Family discovers its cat nursing mice

CRANBROOK, Canada - A family awoke Tuesday to find their cat nursing two mice - along with her seven week-old kittens.

Irene Weller said one of her daughters found some baby mice in a nest that ended up in their home the day before.

"I didn't want mice in the house," Weller said. So the baby rodents were promptly thrown outside.

But on Tuesday morning, the Wellers saw their cat Patches nursing and caring for the mice as if they were part of her litter.

"I don't know where she found them," Weller said. "But clearly she found them and brought them in instead of killing them."

It appears Patches is in a real maternal groove.

"She's actually feeding the mice," Weller said.

At one point during the day the Weller kids were playing with the mice outside the den area.

"Patches was upset they weren't in the bed," Weller said. "All she wanted to do was lick them.

"When we put them back in the bed Patches calmed right down."

Assuming the cat doesn't revert to her genetically programmed instincts, the mice may become part of the family.

Weller said the family plans to buy a cage for the little rodents, who have yet to be named.

Regional wildlife biologist Bob Forbes said Patches' behavior isn't uncommon among animals.

"I've seen this kind of thing before," Forbes said. "I've seen a dog nursing squirrels. I've seen documentation of lions nursing wildebeest calves."

-Spring 2003

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