Wood mouse

[wildaboutlife]

Hi,

Unfortunately our cat found a wood mouse today and the RSPCA think that it died from shock. I think it was living in our log wood pile and I definately saw another one there later on in the day. Why was it out in the day, I thought they were nocturnal? What will happen to the other wood mouse, will it survive without it's partner and go on to find another wood mouse to build a nest with? How can I prevent my cats from finding the other wood mouse? They have never caught anything before-only leaves!!

An upset cat owner

[Pippa]

Mice do die now and again through shock and as far as i am aware, the woodmouse is nocturnal. Still, in hard times when they need to feed that may change as is does with others eg. hedgehogs.

You can not safeguard the mice from the cat to my knowledge but it is a nice thought.

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

I've seen wood mice out in the day so it's not uncommon.
I guess the only way you can stop your cat getting the other mouse is to keep the cat indoors!

neil

[shirl]

Generally speaking they are nocturnal, but they do appear in the day, this morning we had 2 in the garden about 08:15. We always have problems with neighbours cats, but there really isn't much we can do other than scare the cats away - they come back of course. The current wood mouse population appear from a stone wall, with lots of holes in it & I have put a couple of boulders nearby to give them a bit more protection from being seen. Just have to keep fingers crossed they survive.

Shirl

[Nightranger]

Wood mice are usually quite robust and my former landlady's cat brought in a youngster that survived overnight. Sadly, it escaped under a chair and was found dead the next day, more likely from starvation than shock.

Wood mice seem to be just as active in the daylight as short-tailed field voles at certain times of the year although they prefer the hours of darkness (a good idea when on the business end of the food chain).