[loso]

The fact that cats hunt have been helpful to me in the past. Twice while I was living in an apartment building all of my neighbors had problems with mice. Once in New York and once in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts before my girlfriend came to live with me, I would see the mice. After she came to live with me with her cats, never saw them again. The same when we moved to NYC. While my neighbors all had rotten issues I never saw one mouse or rat in my apartment the entire 8 years living there.

[theshrike79]

Statistically, cats are really bad at catching mice. They might catch one, maybe kill it, maybe not. Maybe they'll just play with it and let it go.

Terriers on the other hand... https://youtu.be/l2Pyu-Cj0gg

[TulliusCicero]

Maybe them being around still scares the mice enough?

[jyounker]

The cat doesn't have to actually catch the mice and rats, as they are instinctively afraid of the smell of cat urine, even in small amounts.