Eeeek! A mouse! (not for the squeamish)
Three posts in one day- what is going on here? I suppose I just have had a very eventful day.This morning I came downstairs to find Cleo the cat growling as I came toward her. My first thought was that she was guarding one of her fake mouse toys; not really normal behavior from her.
Yep, you guessed it: she had a real mouse in her mouth. I sort of, uh, panicked. Thought she would drop it if I commanded her to, like a dog might. She didn't. When my screaming started, she took her prey and ran with it upstairs.
By the time I reached her, she was going crazy, pawing at the small chest of drawers behind my door. I assume that the mouse ran under it and was trapped because Cleo stayed there for quite a while, persisting with vocal agitation. Now, at this point, my parents had just arrived for the day- and according to my mom, "If Cleo wants to take care of this mouse for you, you should just let her." So while we were at church, the cat stayed intently glued to this dresser....
This evening I got brave and put a mouse trap in the spot where the mouse was supposed to be, just between the wall and the back of the dresser. Several hours later, after checking the mouse trap obsessively, I got up the courage to push the dresser back and find the mouse (presumably dead). No mouse to be found. I don't know how the little guy escaped me, the cat, AND the mouse trap! I'm assuming he was mortally wounded, the way Cleo had him in her mouth... but he still managed to get away!
There were mouse droppings under the dresser... and I've never seen them before in my house, so I'm going to tell myself that this was the lone ranger who ventured out and was made an example so that the others won't follow. (Shudder... I really don't like mice... or killing them. Or thinking about mice in my house.)
On the bright side, I kind of had an "I'm an adult moment" when I chose to pull the dresser back. My impulse this morning was to ask Bill (my stepdad) to find and exterminate the mouse for me... ewww, I don't do these things. But I didn't ask. Yes, I whined and worried my way through church and lunch out with them, though. Mom gave advice and even laughed about Cleo, the mouse killer, but ultimately when the left this afternoon, I still had to deal with it. There are certain things I'd rather not do (involving dead animals lately), and I am realizing slowly that NO ONE loves to do these tasks. It's just that the truly mature, strong individuals grit their teeth and do it anyway, then move on. Sometimes these mature, composed individuals have even done the despicable tasks for me (thank you Melissa, Melinda, and Mom!). I'm ready now to be the adult here.
I'll keep you posted on the mouse hunt.
-------------------UPDATE 11/22:-------------------
Hooray!
Cleo killed the mouse last night! I shut her out of my bedroom for the night so she could do her work in private, and when I came downstairs this morning there was a little, um, present for me left on the carpet. Cleo slept peacefully above her defeated prey in the armchair, and I told her what a wonderful mouser she's become. I'm so relieved that the mouse is gone!
posted by Sarah @ 10:05 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
LOL... better find it soon, if not you'll "nose him" sooner or later!
Here's a funny mouse story for ya:
One day this summer, I was painting my bathroom, when my cute six year old daughter excitedly ran into the bathroom. She had been out playing in the backyard. She had her hands clasped together and sticking out from between her thumbs was a little field mouse head. His eyes were full of fear, but he just sat there real still. It scared me a little cuz I don't want my little girl to be bitten. I grabbed a mop bucket and had her put it in there. She was proud of her little mini-adventure, chasing and catching that little mouse. I told her NOT TO TOUCH IT AGAIN but that she could observe it in the bucket for a bit and then we'd have to let it go! Well, it got out!!! In the house!!! She came to me and said, "Well, I guess we'll have to go to plan B....." I asked what that was and she said, "Kill it...." So, we set a trap. The poor little thing.
I did tell her to never touch a wild animal again unless she had an adult's permission. I don't want her to get bit by anything, but her catching that little mouse was so cute.
I hope you can catch it. We have had to set some traps. We seem to always get a few this time of year. I guess we should try to find out where they're getting in at and fix it. Mouse turds make me yell, "SICK,SICK,SICK!!!"
Too funny! Ebb's been totally captivated by a field mouse that darts under the patio wall to eat fallen bird seed. I think Ebb's predation instincts aren't quite as good as Cleo's.
We had one superb mouser when I was growing up [Oh, wait, Binki's still alive] but some of her kids were morons when it came to mice.....several played with the mmouse and never ate it. Gross.
Wait a minute, Sar. How is it that you can handle hamsters but not mice?
I am afraid Señor Mousie will stink up the house... ewww. He and his brothers haven't shown up in my traps yet.
Rob, I can handle hamsters but not mice because they don't harbor HANTAVIRUS!
Eeek! 36% mortality rate on that virus. Yeah, play it safe!
I think you should have a sit down with Cleo and conduct a performance evaluation. Remind her that there are many other cats in the Denver area willing and able to do the job. This might have a positive effect on her mousing abilities.
Hurray for Cleo!!! What a wonderful friend to you and ferocious enemy to her foe! Her charm and beauty is matched by her cunning bravery!
I am right once again! I told the girls mice probably carry disease!
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