7.28.2012

The Lucky Mouse

When Brady told me that he had seen a mouse in our kitchen a few weeks ago I only slightly believed him. That is why I did nothing besides a casual google/amazon search. I had not seen a mouse and believing him would mean a lot work and worry for me. I'll do something about it when it is real to me I said to myself.  
Wednesday night things got real. As I sat reclined watching whatever it was I was watching, a little grey mouse appeared. He flittered out from the side of the couch by the wall and started to search through Aurora's fallen crumbs. He must have heard my mind shriek a bit because he went back to the side of the couch almost immediately. I quietly went and yelled down the stairs to Brady that I saw his mouse and then went back to my rocking chair. The mouse came out from the couch again a few inches and then went back in. I texted Brady that the mouse was with me and he should bring a bucket. Brady brought a bucket, but I decided we might need something bigger and so we switched to a big plastic bin. Brady pulled back the couch and there he was looking confused at where his ceiling had went. He scampered back to the part of the couch touching the ground and climbed in. We put the couch back down and after a couple minutes gave it another go. This time when we pulled back the couch he sat stunned long enough for me to plop the bin down over him. Trapped! HAHA got ya!
Anyone who thinks they know anything about catching mice will tell you that if you have mice the best solution is to get a cat. Well let me tell you, my cat had no idea that we had mice. I called Cabello over to let him know and he was totally surprised. He locked his eyes on that cute little guy and it took a moment for him to even register it as a living thing. But when he did he was on! He was ready to attack and made it clear that he would be delighted to have a go. I told him he'd had his chance but now it was time to let the humans handle it.
This is where I learned that Brady and I have varying levels of humanity. In every scenario I could think of this mouse needed to die. I thought we should drown it or Brady should whack it with a shovel. Brady, I learned, has a tender heart for pests. He thought maybe we could get it a cage and make it a pet. My problem with that was all the poop it would excrete before we got the cage and what would happen when we needed to add its brother or sisters to the cage. After much discussion, I agreed that he could take it down to the park field and release it. So along with a baggy of cordon bleu leftovers and a flashlight Brady took the lucky mouse on a trip to the park.
The next day, I pulled out the stove and found a few hundred tiny pieces of mouse poop. I swept and vacuumed all the crap up (which I now know is not the correct cleanup technique due to the possibility of airborne disease particles) and used some Lysol wipes on the floor and then headed to the hardware store for traps.
Snap Traps! They work. I caught a mouse Thursday. I caught a mouse Friday. But Brady's poor heart is breaking for the little guys and he is the one who needs to dispose of their lifeless bodies because of my pregnancy. I can't deny it. I am inhumane. They are cute but I want them dead. I don't want to risk them multiplying or coming back and leaving their diseased bodily functions in my kitchen. Hopefully its all over soon and maybe three was all there were living here. I don't delight in causing pain to animals but I am a mama bear who will do what needs to be done to keep her little ones safe.
How do you feel about killing mice?

2 comments:

  1. I'm with Brady.......I would let it loose in a field somewhere. Mike would kill it for sure.

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