Post by Lannie on Mar 3, 2012 14:33:30 GMT -5
Honestly, I haven't had a mouse in the house since 1997. Before that, I lived with my ex, who was extremely allergic to cats. But since '97 there have been several cats in the house, and since we moved to SD, there have been no fewer than FIVE in the house. No mice. Never.
Right now we are currently at five cats, two of which are avid hunters, two who are much too lazy to be bothered, and one who will sometimes hunt and sometimes not. So a few days ago, I saw a mouse run across the porch, and then later that day, Rich saw him hiding in the woodpile (in a big woodbox on the porch). We have a thousand places a mouse can get into that are too small for the cats, so I thought I was doomed. Me, the one who has a severe rodent allergy. Rich went out to the shop and found some mouse traps, which we baited with almond butter (no peanut butter in the house) and set in some of the spots we'd seen the mouse in. And waited. And waited.
The almond butter dried up. Still no mouse in a trap. Then yesterday morning, Dot, our youngest cat, the one with the stumpy back leg, came strolling across the kitchen with a big fat juicy mouse in his mouth! At last! I told Rich to go get it and Dot and put them outside so Dot could finish his meal somewhere NOT on the carpet, and when he approached Dot, he set his prize down. He was right next to the big L-shaped sectional sofa. I held my breath, thinking that was it, the mouse would jump up and run back under the couch and back out on to the porch, but he just laid there belly up and didn't move. Until Rich touched his tail. THEN he jumped up and ran under the couch and back out onto the porch.
Dot, brilliant creature that he is, sat and watched under the couch where he last saw the mouse for TWO HOURS. Rich picked him up and took him out to the porch, and he came right back to the far end of the couch and resumed his stake out. Oy.
Finally, last night, the mouse couldn't resist the lump of dried up almond butter on one of the traps, and he met his end, quickly and without fanfare. Well, there was a "SNAP!" It was so quick, he didn't even squeal. I hate that part. Anyway, now the mouse is gone, and hopefully there were no others that got in with him. Rich thinks it was hiding in a box of kindling when he brought it inside, and that's how he got in. Now when Rich brings wood in, I make him shake the box and make sure there's no scurrying sounds inside before he brings them in! LOL!
This is Dot, our fearless (and not too smart) hunter:
And speaking of not too smart, I thought I'd throw this in, just for giggles. When Rich and I lived in Central Oregon, Rich built a bird feeder for all the "big" birds that frequented our place, magpies, bluejays, crows, etc. Here's a pic of it filled with bluejays one winter day:
Our little girl kitty, Puma, being also very brilliant and clever, decided it would be much easier to catch a bird if she sat in the bird feeder and just waited for them to come to her, rather than having to expend all that energy chasing, leaping, and jumping after them. So she waited.
And waited. And waited. She spent days on end, patiently sitting in that bird feeder, and never did manage to fool those birds.
~Lannie
Right now we are currently at five cats, two of which are avid hunters, two who are much too lazy to be bothered, and one who will sometimes hunt and sometimes not. So a few days ago, I saw a mouse run across the porch, and then later that day, Rich saw him hiding in the woodpile (in a big woodbox on the porch). We have a thousand places a mouse can get into that are too small for the cats, so I thought I was doomed. Me, the one who has a severe rodent allergy. Rich went out to the shop and found some mouse traps, which we baited with almond butter (no peanut butter in the house) and set in some of the spots we'd seen the mouse in. And waited. And waited.
The almond butter dried up. Still no mouse in a trap. Then yesterday morning, Dot, our youngest cat, the one with the stumpy back leg, came strolling across the kitchen with a big fat juicy mouse in his mouth! At last! I told Rich to go get it and Dot and put them outside so Dot could finish his meal somewhere NOT on the carpet, and when he approached Dot, he set his prize down. He was right next to the big L-shaped sectional sofa. I held my breath, thinking that was it, the mouse would jump up and run back under the couch and back out on to the porch, but he just laid there belly up and didn't move. Until Rich touched his tail. THEN he jumped up and ran under the couch and back out onto the porch.
Dot, brilliant creature that he is, sat and watched under the couch where he last saw the mouse for TWO HOURS. Rich picked him up and took him out to the porch, and he came right back to the far end of the couch and resumed his stake out. Oy.
Finally, last night, the mouse couldn't resist the lump of dried up almond butter on one of the traps, and he met his end, quickly and without fanfare. Well, there was a "SNAP!" It was so quick, he didn't even squeal. I hate that part. Anyway, now the mouse is gone, and hopefully there were no others that got in with him. Rich thinks it was hiding in a box of kindling when he brought it inside, and that's how he got in. Now when Rich brings wood in, I make him shake the box and make sure there's no scurrying sounds inside before he brings them in! LOL!
This is Dot, our fearless (and not too smart) hunter:
And speaking of not too smart, I thought I'd throw this in, just for giggles. When Rich and I lived in Central Oregon, Rich built a bird feeder for all the "big" birds that frequented our place, magpies, bluejays, crows, etc. Here's a pic of it filled with bluejays one winter day:
Our little girl kitty, Puma, being also very brilliant and clever, decided it would be much easier to catch a bird if she sat in the bird feeder and just waited for them to come to her, rather than having to expend all that energy chasing, leaping, and jumping after them. So she waited.
And waited. And waited. She spent days on end, patiently sitting in that bird feeder, and never did manage to fool those birds.
~Lannie