We have a rodent problem here and considering getting an "outdoor" cat as well. Besides eating mice with pellets, anything else we should be concerned with?
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Cat ate my ammo?
- Thread starter pewpewfever
- Start date
I have one cat that goes outside a lot and is a good hunter. Her mom can’t hunt at all and she never goes outside. The mom is a lap kitty , but the daughter doesn’t even like to be picked up or held. You might wind up with a cat that can’t hunt. It’s a learned behavior and a lot of cats raised indoors just can’t do it. I asked the local rescue for a cat that hunts and they hooked me up with one on the condition I take the mom too, which worked out because lap kitties are nice to have. Besides the daughter bringing vermin inside the house and making messes (not on the carpet kitty!), I also struggle with keeping her free of fleas and ticks. The meds are pricey and regular office visits are required (every six months) to get her weight updated so they can provide the right one for her weight. That’s basically it. But when one of her mice gets away inside the house, I resort to the sticky traps to get it. You could just try those. The poison for mice makes them thirsty and they chew up your waterlines before they die. Cost me a dishwasher.
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When it comes to lead, if you don't care, then don't take precautions. If you don't think it will affect you... well, that is not something that happens suddenly. Unless you get shot. (smile)
All I was trying to say is that you won't go wrong by being overly cautious when it comes to lead exposure. If you aren't, then years later you may very well regret it.
Do you wash your hands after handling RoundUp or any insect or rodent poisons you may use? Same thing. (smile)
Again, to each their own...
All I was trying to say is that you won't go wrong by being overly cautious when it comes to lead exposure. If you aren't, then years later you may very well regret it.
Do you wash your hands after handling RoundUp or any insect or rodent poisons you may use? Same thing. (smile)
Again, to each their own...
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You have to make sure and seal up your crawlspace or anywhere that rats/mice can get into a building/your home. If they can get their head through a crack, they can get the rest of their body through it too! I have actually seen it several times with rats and even rabbits, but I don't kill rabbits. They are my wild pets. (grin)
I hate having to use poison for rats/mice, partly because of "secondary" kills that may happen, but I must admit that I mainly hate it because it deprives me of pesting targets! (chuckle)
I place my rodenticide bait box where it is highly unlikely that anything other than the rats/mice will get to it. On top of my wood pile.
But, then again, I can't stay up all night looking for shots at rats/mice, so the poison is a must. I do use it in a bait box that is where the rabbits (cottontails) and can't or won't get to it. I also dispose of the dead rats I find so they are not consumed by the local cats, Opossums, etc.
2022 has been VERY slow for me as to pesting. So am still considering stopping the use of rodenticides so I will have more targets. But, I doubt I will do it. (smile)
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This little cat didn't eat any lead but she did followed us from the farm out to the prairie dog town .
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That cat looks like my cats except the mom, Meadow, is fat and the daughter, Diamond, has a big white diamond on her back.
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Time for a metal detector "pin pointer". If your cat eats rodents, id be less concerned about the pellets and more concerned about what the rodents have ingested or brought with them. Just me. Good luck.
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I wash up when I'm done shooting, but don't worry about it too much. I've got a good piece of a 12ga lead slug in my bicep, doctors weren't concerned too much about taking it out saying effects are minimal and nothing to worry about. 10 years and no symptoms of lead poisoning...weird with all the talk of toxic lead and this and that. Don't believe everything you read or imagine.
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I have no doubt your doctor(s) told you what you needed to hear. I mean, there was nothing else they could do.
Look up the studies of retained lead from gunshots and long term lead exposure.
To each their own... (smile) Good luck!
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You should be good unless the cat has introduced diseases into your home from what it has brought into the home.
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My wife, a veterinarian, said you have nothing to worry about. The amount of time it will take the cat to pass the lead through is not enough time for the body to absorb the lead. She is more concerned your cat brings in the kills.
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Meant to reply to this earlier but Wyshadow’s wife gave you the correct answer. An acute ingestion scenario like your cat’s is far different than the chronic ingestion scenarios that cause lead poisoning. The lead in that pellet probably passed through unchanged. Someone inferred handling pellets could be an issue. Little risk of dermal absorption; however, washing your hands to remove lead particles before you eat or drink anything is a good idea. The more you shoot the more lead you potentially ingest. Easy precaution to take.
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Your cat's hunting adventures sure keep things lively! Speaking of cats, have you ever wondered, "What is a Ragdoll cat?" Well, they're known for their docile nature and tendency to go limp when picked up, hence the name "Ragdoll." I've heard they make wonderful companions, just like my friend's Ragdoll, Luna. Despite their hunting instincts, Ragdoll cats are gentle souls at heart.
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I am an avid caster and I get tested every year for lead and I've never been up to the allowable level, a couple years I got close but I also processed an entire 10m sailboat keel that spring...
I have a jar of lead swabs I use to make sure my workspace is clean after casting. I used them on may hands after washing them and found that just a couple drops of Dawn was enough to immediately lift the lead off my skin when washing my hands. Under the nails was another matter!
I found barrier cream worked well to fill the nail beds and was easy to remove with Dawn and a nail brush.
A 3M 6300 mask keeps smoke out of my lungs, a straw through a tight fitting cap on my water bottle placed away from the casting area, works well to keep anything airbore out of my water.
I'm not very concerned about lead now that I have a good process.
I have a jar of lead swabs I use to make sure my workspace is clean after casting. I used them on may hands after washing them and found that just a couple drops of Dawn was enough to immediately lift the lead off my skin when washing my hands. Under the nails was another matter!
I found barrier cream worked well to fill the nail beds and was easy to remove with Dawn and a nail brush.
A 3M 6300 mask keeps smoke out of my lungs, a straw through a tight fitting cap on my water bottle placed away from the casting area, works well to keep anything airbore out of my water.
I'm not very concerned about lead now that I have a good process.
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2 things. Letting the cat bring it's prey/live toys into the house and shooting in the house. Don't shoot in the house. It's not a good idea. You now have 2 holes in your carpet and floor. A simple little stomp and flush would have sufficed.lol
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