I went out to a friend's home last night, and when I came home, I saw that one of the traps had sprung. It is on that keeps the kill "hidden" but as it is really only effective for adult mice I checked, and sure enough, the capture was alive.
For that reason, I emptied the trap into a plastic bag, thinking to re-use the trap after I had killed what it had caught. Because...tossing it away still alive just seemed to be too cruel.
I got over that sentiment very quickly. I put it in a bag, opened the trap, sure enough saw the baby mouse crawl out and I got a large object with which to it it. I failed. I used the end of the broom that had been so effective with the sticky-trap mice, but unfortunately, the glue from those traps was still on the death-implement. As I raised it, it, it opened the bag and the mouse found the escape route and nearly ran over my foot.
I of course screeched loudly enough to cause the dead in the nearby cemetery to rise. They were completely bored with the mouse problem, though, and returned to their rest.
I, however, experienced a huge jolt of adrenaline and resolved that all of those mice were going to die in very short order.
The one I had struck seemed quite dazed and confused, though, and ran to take cover by my garbage cans...and then to another location. I know I wounded him, perhaps mortally. But now I had no way of capturing him and offering a merciful death.
Damn!
I put the poison back out again, and positioned those bait stations near where I knew the mice were still running. The Tomcat snap-type traps are too sensitive to place where the others had had success, but I was out of those and just threw the last one away. After all the mice feces that came into contact with it, I decided it was best to contain the mouse-disease that comes with their droppings and spend the money for more of those. They may be more expensive, but they so far have been the only trap to actually work (other than the sticky traps which only caught 2 but also caught leaves and other random stuff that rendered them sticky but useless and doesn't kill the critters).
Then this afternoon I had an attack of conscience and picked up the bait traps (the poison), living in holy terror that a poisoned mouse will wander into the neighbor's garage, be eaten by a cat, and then poison the cat, and therefore make an entire family sad and grief-stricken.
I can't do that to people.
So I picked the poison up. Again.
So far, as of 11:30 pm Saturday night) still no more captures. Like it or not, I will have to purchase more traps tomorrow, of the type I can place in the mouse-path without them springing just by being set down. Or by the vibration of the garage door.
*sigh*
A priest who reads my blog observed this series is much like a metaphor for spiritual combat, and indeed, I agree with that. Although right now I'm not meditating on it too much because it's giving me the heebie-jeebies every time I think of that little mouse escaping and cowering, dazed and confused....and disease-ridden, maybe sneaking into my house to die and, if it ingested poison, to kill my dog if she eats it out of curiosity....
Showing posts with label Cirque du Mousie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cirque du Mousie. Show all posts
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Has the Cirque du Mousie moved on?
I doubt it.
On Tuesday, I left work early to stop at Fleet Farm and buy poison (yes, I gave in) and more traps, including a "mouse attractant".
I set them out the moment I got home, even though the 2 remaining sticky traps were still empty. I had a couple of pet-resistant bait stations which I placed along the baseboards. I told one of my neighbors (whom I know have a cat) that I had put poison out, so FYI, and explained what it was (as in..not pellets). They seemed disinterested and remain so.
As I cooked dinner, my doorbell rang.
I answered it, and there stood the little neighbor boy who lives in the townhome with the garage that seems to be the "mouse source". He excitedly told me that their cat caught a mouse and that they could let their cat into my garage. I told him that I had just put poison out and didn't want to risk his cat getting into it. He asked a few confusing things I had a hard time understanding. He asked to "see it". No, honey, it's nasty stuff. I told him I had caught 4 mice; he wanted to see them. No, honey, they carry diseases and I threw them away. He wanted to see the traps. No, honey, let's leave them alone.
Finally, as he seemed so persistent, trying to figure out what he was REALLY asking, I inquired, "Do you need traps?"
"Yes!"
"OK, hold on a minute, I have some extra!"
I gave him a few cheap wooden traps that I had purchased in order to have extras - the one-time use wooden ones. I told him that his mom or dad could put peanut butter on it to attract the mice. He told me, with a big smile, that cheese is better. I told him cheese is good, too, but I've had a lot of luck with peanut butter. As he ran off, still beaming, he said, "I'm going to have a lot of luck with cheese!"
I returned to the kitchen. Two minutes later, the doorbell rang again. I answered the door, and there stood his mother, holding the package of traps. (This is the first time I've seen the woman so I'm glad to have met her finally!). She handed them over, explained they are fine, and also that her son is autistic and had a hard time communicating.
I learned they have 3 cats, he told her of the poison I put out and she, of course concerned, wanted to come speak with me and offer to let her cats run around my garage and maybe find the nest.
I explained that I believed the mice were coming from her garage, but running throughout our 4 linked garages so of course I didn't know where the nest was.
We had a wonderful conversation, actually. Both of her sons are autistic, and as we spoke, the youngest of the two romped around in the yard with my dog. She was thrilled, of course and said that the play time was tiring her son out!
But, well, anyway....
As of today, none of my new traps have been triggered. I did pick up the bait stations and put them away; I don't believe any of the mice found either of them before I did so. They're still in the garage, but on top of something I don't believe the mice will easily find, and back in their packaging. If the cats are going after the mice, well...I prefer their very natural intervention! This lady has 3 natural-born hunters who LOVE to hunt!
An article on a local news source today said that the mouse population is up in MN, and more people than ever before are out purchasing traps and the like.
I'd like to be positive here and think maybe the mice are gone, but...no. I know of 5 mice caught. 3 were babies, one was a mother, the other half-grown. The cats may have caught more and perhaps decided to hoard them versus offering them as "gifts" to their human families. (That's the down side of using cats to control mice in an urban setting - they might just eat the entire thing and leave no evidence of the catch!).
I don't think the mice are gone. They are smart creatures and perhaps have simply found my garage to be an unwelcoming habitat, so perhaps they are avoiding it or have shifted their pathway through it. I have set traps in alternative locations in hopes that if that's where they are, they will stop to have a lick at the black goopy "mouse attractant" and lose their heads and reproductive abilities in the process.
In the meantime, while I deal with this problem, I have resolved not to watch any mousie movies such as "The Littles" or the movie about the mouse family that is moving to "the lee of the stone". (What is that classic called?????). I don't need an attack of conscience right now. Especially considering the out-of-control mouse population due to a longer breeding season this year.
*sigh*
I don't want to kill any creatures, especially if I can't grill them in a nice marinade.
Mice are useless kills although there is one benefit; at least, as long as we work to control their population, maybe we won't die from the Black Plague.
On Tuesday, I left work early to stop at Fleet Farm and buy poison (yes, I gave in) and more traps, including a "mouse attractant".
I set them out the moment I got home, even though the 2 remaining sticky traps were still empty. I had a couple of pet-resistant bait stations which I placed along the baseboards. I told one of my neighbors (whom I know have a cat) that I had put poison out, so FYI, and explained what it was (as in..not pellets). They seemed disinterested and remain so.
As I cooked dinner, my doorbell rang.
I answered it, and there stood the little neighbor boy who lives in the townhome with the garage that seems to be the "mouse source". He excitedly told me that their cat caught a mouse and that they could let their cat into my garage. I told him that I had just put poison out and didn't want to risk his cat getting into it. He asked a few confusing things I had a hard time understanding. He asked to "see it". No, honey, it's nasty stuff. I told him I had caught 4 mice; he wanted to see them. No, honey, they carry diseases and I threw them away. He wanted to see the traps. No, honey, let's leave them alone.
Finally, as he seemed so persistent, trying to figure out what he was REALLY asking, I inquired, "Do you need traps?"
"Yes!"
"OK, hold on a minute, I have some extra!"
I gave him a few cheap wooden traps that I had purchased in order to have extras - the one-time use wooden ones. I told him that his mom or dad could put peanut butter on it to attract the mice. He told me, with a big smile, that cheese is better. I told him cheese is good, too, but I've had a lot of luck with peanut butter. As he ran off, still beaming, he said, "I'm going to have a lot of luck with cheese!"
I returned to the kitchen. Two minutes later, the doorbell rang again. I answered the door, and there stood his mother, holding the package of traps. (This is the first time I've seen the woman so I'm glad to have met her finally!). She handed them over, explained they are fine, and also that her son is autistic and had a hard time communicating.
I learned they have 3 cats, he told her of the poison I put out and she, of course concerned, wanted to come speak with me and offer to let her cats run around my garage and maybe find the nest.
I explained that I believed the mice were coming from her garage, but running throughout our 4 linked garages so of course I didn't know where the nest was.
We had a wonderful conversation, actually. Both of her sons are autistic, and as we spoke, the youngest of the two romped around in the yard with my dog. She was thrilled, of course and said that the play time was tiring her son out!
But, well, anyway....
As of today, none of my new traps have been triggered. I did pick up the bait stations and put them away; I don't believe any of the mice found either of them before I did so. They're still in the garage, but on top of something I don't believe the mice will easily find, and back in their packaging. If the cats are going after the mice, well...I prefer their very natural intervention! This lady has 3 natural-born hunters who LOVE to hunt!
An article on a local news source today said that the mouse population is up in MN, and more people than ever before are out purchasing traps and the like.
I'd like to be positive here and think maybe the mice are gone, but...no. I know of 5 mice caught. 3 were babies, one was a mother, the other half-grown. The cats may have caught more and perhaps decided to hoard them versus offering them as "gifts" to their human families. (That's the down side of using cats to control mice in an urban setting - they might just eat the entire thing and leave no evidence of the catch!).
I don't think the mice are gone. They are smart creatures and perhaps have simply found my garage to be an unwelcoming habitat, so perhaps they are avoiding it or have shifted their pathway through it. I have set traps in alternative locations in hopes that if that's where they are, they will stop to have a lick at the black goopy "mouse attractant" and lose their heads and reproductive abilities in the process.
In the meantime, while I deal with this problem, I have resolved not to watch any mousie movies such as "The Littles" or the movie about the mouse family that is moving to "the lee of the stone". (What is that classic called?????). I don't need an attack of conscience right now. Especially considering the out-of-control mouse population due to a longer breeding season this year.
*sigh*
I don't want to kill any creatures, especially if I can't grill them in a nice marinade.
Mice are useless kills although there is one benefit; at least, as long as we work to control their population, maybe we won't die from the Black Plague.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Is This The End?
My neighbor came home at some point this afternoon, so I went into the garage to check the traps.
Sure enough, one of them was knocked onto the floor, and I think it fell upon my entrance into the garage. I distinctly saw movement in that area. It's also possible that it was another mouse.
I opened the garage door for better light and got the garage broom to turn over the upside-down glue trap.
Yup. There was the mouse, little grey thing with his little naked tail.
He was blinking at me in fear.
Yes, I felt bad. And because I felt bad, I took the broom and quickly put an end to things. I do not want the little creatures to suffer.
The scary thing is this: this mouse was NOT the one I saw last night and this morning. That one was bigger and darker-colored. This one I got today? This is just a baby, about 12 days old. Old enough, in mouse-years, to reproduce copiously.
I set the next trap in place.
And yes, I believe this problem came from my new neighbors, God bless them. They probably had no idea they were housing an entire family in their stuff.
Recently I read a story about mice in a monastery, and they had a continual battle with the mice; it never ended. In the story, there was some kind of symbolism; the mice represented the Holy Souls in Purgatory. So they began praying especially for those Holy Souls, especially when dealing with the mice.
And the mouse problem mysteriously went away.
I read this story recently, and on a blog, I think. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Anyone have a source? If so, please link below.
I'd rather pray for Holy Souls than have to brain another cute lil' mouse who would be much happier in a field, anyway.
UPDATE 5 PM: I found another mouse on the trap. DEFINITELY a baby, much smaller than the previous mouse. We have an infestation.
I'm going to contact the person who owns the unit next to me. She is a friend and I'm not sure the renter next door cares. But the rest of us do, and I'm sure the town-home owner would care.
The traps continue to be set
UPDATE 6 PM:
I called the homeowner, and while she wasn't thrilled with the news, she was happy to know about it up front.
She said that she had "a mouse" once, years ago. But of course, finding successive mice within hours of each other does indeed point to an infestation as opposed to a random occurrence
Yes, the traps continue to be set.
Prayers to St. Martin de Porras ascend.
.
.
Sure enough, one of them was knocked onto the floor, and I think it fell upon my entrance into the garage. I distinctly saw movement in that area. It's also possible that it was another mouse.
I opened the garage door for better light and got the garage broom to turn over the upside-down glue trap.
Yup. There was the mouse, little grey thing with his little naked tail.
He was blinking at me in fear.
Yes, I felt bad. And because I felt bad, I took the broom and quickly put an end to things. I do not want the little creatures to suffer.
The scary thing is this: this mouse was NOT the one I saw last night and this morning. That one was bigger and darker-colored. This one I got today? This is just a baby, about 12 days old. Old enough, in mouse-years, to reproduce copiously.
I set the next trap in place.
And yes, I believe this problem came from my new neighbors, God bless them. They probably had no idea they were housing an entire family in their stuff.
Recently I read a story about mice in a monastery, and they had a continual battle with the mice; it never ended. In the story, there was some kind of symbolism; the mice represented the Holy Souls in Purgatory. So they began praying especially for those Holy Souls, especially when dealing with the mice.
And the mouse problem mysteriously went away.
I read this story recently, and on a blog, I think. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Anyone have a source? If so, please link below.
I'd rather pray for Holy Souls than have to brain another cute lil' mouse who would be much happier in a field, anyway.UPDATE 5 PM: I found another mouse on the trap. DEFINITELY a baby, much smaller than the previous mouse. We have an infestation.
I'm going to contact the person who owns the unit next to me. She is a friend and I'm not sure the renter next door cares. But the rest of us do, and I'm sure the town-home owner would care.
The traps continue to be set
UPDATE 6 PM:
I called the homeowner, and while she wasn't thrilled with the news, she was happy to know about it up front.
She said that she had "a mouse" once, years ago. But of course, finding successive mice within hours of each other does indeed point to an infestation as opposed to a random occurrence
Yes, the traps continue to be set.
Prayers to St. Martin de Porras ascend.
.
.
The Saga of the Mouse continues...
Oh, yes, already there is news.
This morning I went to Home Depot and studied options for mouse traps.
Poison? No - can save that for a last resort.
Snap traps? No - they scare me because I'm a klutz and I need my fingers (for things like typing and painting!)
Found a trap that has a little "bait door", put peanut butter on it, it looks kinda like an igloo with a little entrance and everything. And as I found out, it is VERY sensitive. I set it down in my garage, started to push it into a little hidey-hole behind a table, and it snapped! Darn dry leaves!
Of course, when that happened, I screeched like a little girl.
I reset it, got the broom to clean out the area a little, then put the trap in place. Went inside to get the glue traps and when I returned, that darn thing was running along the garage wall, jumped up on a little metal plate near the door and scampered into the large gap in the wall between my garage and the one next door.
My dog was RIGHT! Good dog!
As much as my skin was crawling, I was THRILLED to confirm the mouse's path.
Traps are now set: two disposable kill-em-quick (I think) traps, and 4 glue traps with little bits of cheese on them to entice the mouse.
I really wish the dang thing had just stayed outside. I'm hoping it just came in to explore and that it hasn't been here long. I'm really hoping it just goes away. But more likely it's breeding and in a couple weeks its progeny will be breeding...and breeding...and so on.
Nope...it's going away now. Buh-bye!
This morning I went to Home Depot and studied options for mouse traps.
Poison? No - can save that for a last resort.
Snap traps? No - they scare me because I'm a klutz and I need my fingers (for things like typing and painting!)
Found a trap that has a little "bait door", put peanut butter on it, it looks kinda like an igloo with a little entrance and everything. And as I found out, it is VERY sensitive. I set it down in my garage, started to push it into a little hidey-hole behind a table, and it snapped! Darn dry leaves!
Of course, when that happened, I screeched like a little girl.
I reset it, got the broom to clean out the area a little, then put the trap in place. Went inside to get the glue traps and when I returned, that darn thing was running along the garage wall, jumped up on a little metal plate near the door and scampered into the large gap in the wall between my garage and the one next door.
My dog was RIGHT! Good dog!
As much as my skin was crawling, I was THRILLED to confirm the mouse's path.
Traps are now set: two disposable kill-em-quick (I think) traps, and 4 glue traps with little bits of cheese on them to entice the mouse.
I really wish the dang thing had just stayed outside. I'm hoping it just came in to explore and that it hasn't been here long. I'm really hoping it just goes away. But more likely it's breeding and in a couple weeks its progeny will be breeding...and breeding...and so on.
Nope...it's going away now. Buh-bye!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Cirque du Mousie
I wonder if we're at the beginning of another epic saga at Adoro's house, something akin to the Saga of the Breadcrust from a few years ago? (hint: I linked only to where that particular Saga began...not where it ended...)
As you know well, Epic Sagas at my house always involve critters, even when they seem to involve things.
This evening I had to work late, and as I arrived home, as usual I hit the remote to open the garage door. The door dutifully opened as I dutifully turned at a right angle so as to prepare to enter the one-car space. Being that it's fall, there are always leaves scuttering about due to the entrance of near air into the garage space, but tonight one of the "leaves" caught my eye.
It wasn't rolling about randomly, but seemed to have purpose...and legs...and a tail....
I watched it run about in a panic, then finally shoot between a card table and the garage wall. I got out of my car and approached the area. The tiny black mouse started to leave it's refuge, recognized my human presence and the awful bright lights of my car and immediately dove back for cover.
It's not even COLD out! It's still in the 70's and after 9pm! In October!
I live in a town home and wondered from whence this little intruder had come. In scanning my garage for garbage or anything that might look like a "tasty goody", I saw nothing, then wondered if the neighbors on either side had something to attract the thing. After all, our garages are adjoining. Cigarette smoke passes through my garage as if forced by a high-powered fan; clearly, mice can travel just as easily and often, and as mysteriously as smoke.
Because of an experience in the past involving my car and mice (when I was in Mexico for a semester a mouse made a nest of soybeans and other field material and blew out my engine. The car was never right from that point on. And I had mouse-nest material blowing through my car vents for the next few years, until I could get another car and finally trash that one.), I parked my car outside tonight. Besides, I didn't want the thing deciding to inspect my foot when I stepped out of the car!
>>>>> Enter irrational fear here. <<<<
Not that I'm afraid of mice; in principle, I'm really not. They're cute...but those are the mice bred to be pets. (I actually WANT a properly-bred pet mouse!) This one, though is a wild mouse and it isn't invited or welcome anywhere other than outside.
I came inside, disturbed, hoping the mouse has not breached the interior walls of my home. The thought is disturbing. Having lived in a mouse-infested place for awhile, knowing what it's like to hear them scratching through the walls at night, let's just say I don't ever want to live in such a hovel ever again.
Mice multiply at an alarming rate, they carry fleas and disease, they eat through things that can be quite costly.
Where did this guy come from, though? I've lived here for 6 years now, and this is the FIRST mouse I've seen! How long has he been there?
I hate to say it, but I suspect my new neighbor. He hasn't lived there long, keeps to himself, and his garage is FULL of all sorts of stuff. He can't get his car in there at all and I'm not sure how he even walks through it! It's a perfect mouse-habitat, especially if that stuff was in storage before his moving here (which I suspect but won't go into detail as to why that is my suspicion.).
OK, so...it doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that I have a new uninvited guest. And he is most definitely NOT staying! There are no vacancies available for him! (The neighbor is fine; he can stay. But his suspected infestation is NOT part of his lease, I guarantee it!)
Tomorrow I plan to head to a store...somewhere...to find something to send Mr. Mousie to the big Cirque du Mousie in the sky. And maybe the rest of his family would prefer to go with him...?
The neighbor on my other side has a cat...is she [the CAT!] a mouser? I must inquire about that, and if so, let her [the cat!] go to work while keeping my dog well contained in the house. Natural means are, after all, the best!
Acting on a hunch, I brought my dog into my car-less garage and ordered her to "Find the mouse! Where's the mouse!?"
And wouldn't you know it, but that dog put her nose down, made a beeline for where I'd last seen that little bugger, looked at me, put her nose back down and made a beeline to the other side of the garage, and given her intensity, I almost expected to hear a mousie-squeak!
Instead she continued to sniff intensely, ran her nose up the wall in that corner, then back down to the corner, focusing her "investigation".
One does not need to be an expert to realize that my dog, indeed, has found the scent and the mouse himself, perhaps.
That tells me where to put the trap.
Sadly, though, it confirms what I believe: that the mouse came from my new neighbor, and that tells me there are likely more. I will have to be very aggressive in my initial breach of their nest to ensure they do not continue to reproduce.
Yes, I love animals, and this very evening I gave a short talk on Stewardship of Creation, part of Catholic Social Teaching.
We have to recall that good stewardship involves controlling animal infestations. The mouse population in the world is not in danger, and in fact, given the harm they do, I have no qualms about killing them. No, I am not going to use a "humane trap." I am going to wipe out the mouse family. I'm sorry if you're offended by my position but it is not contrary to Catholic teaching in any way shape, or form. I reserve the right to defend my home from vermin in the way I see fit, and according to all applicable laws, religious and secular.
Had the mouse not breached my own property, he and his progeny would be safe. If I lived on a farm, maybe they'd be relocated, maybe not. I don't know: I live in the city and in the city, mice are just plain dangerous and destructive.
But this mouse is NOT going to infest my home with its filth. Nor is it going to spread to my other neighbor. We live in very close quarters here, and something like this could all too easily get out of control.
(To be Continued.....)
*
As you know well, Epic Sagas at my house always involve critters, even when they seem to involve things.
This evening I had to work late, and as I arrived home, as usual I hit the remote to open the garage door. The door dutifully opened as I dutifully turned at a right angle so as to prepare to enter the one-car space. Being that it's fall, there are always leaves scuttering about due to the entrance of near air into the garage space, but tonight one of the "leaves" caught my eye.
It wasn't rolling about randomly, but seemed to have purpose...and legs...and a tail....
Oh my!
I watched it run about in a panic, then finally shoot between a card table and the garage wall. I got out of my car and approached the area. The tiny black mouse started to leave it's refuge, recognized my human presence and the awful bright lights of my car and immediately dove back for cover.
Ugh. A mouse!
It's not even COLD out! It's still in the 70's and after 9pm! In October!
I live in a town home and wondered from whence this little intruder had come. In scanning my garage for garbage or anything that might look like a "tasty goody", I saw nothing, then wondered if the neighbors on either side had something to attract the thing. After all, our garages are adjoining. Cigarette smoke passes through my garage as if forced by a high-powered fan; clearly, mice can travel just as easily and often, and as mysteriously as smoke.
Because of an experience in the past involving my car and mice (when I was in Mexico for a semester a mouse made a nest of soybeans and other field material and blew out my engine. The car was never right from that point on. And I had mouse-nest material blowing through my car vents for the next few years, until I could get another car and finally trash that one.), I parked my car outside tonight. Besides, I didn't want the thing deciding to inspect my foot when I stepped out of the car!
>>>>> Enter irrational fear here. <<<<
Not that I'm afraid of mice; in principle, I'm really not. They're cute...but those are the mice bred to be pets. (I actually WANT a properly-bred pet mouse!) This one, though is a wild mouse and it isn't invited or welcome anywhere other than outside.
I came inside, disturbed, hoping the mouse has not breached the interior walls of my home. The thought is disturbing. Having lived in a mouse-infested place for awhile, knowing what it's like to hear them scratching through the walls at night, let's just say I don't ever want to live in such a hovel ever again.
Mice multiply at an alarming rate, they carry fleas and disease, they eat through things that can be quite costly.
Where did this guy come from, though? I've lived here for 6 years now, and this is the FIRST mouse I've seen! How long has he been there?
I hate to say it, but I suspect my new neighbor. He hasn't lived there long, keeps to himself, and his garage is FULL of all sorts of stuff. He can't get his car in there at all and I'm not sure how he even walks through it! It's a perfect mouse-habitat, especially if that stuff was in storage before his moving here (which I suspect but won't go into detail as to why that is my suspicion.).
OK, so...it doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that I have a new uninvited guest. And he is most definitely NOT staying! There are no vacancies available for him! (The neighbor is fine; he can stay. But his suspected infestation is NOT part of his lease, I guarantee it!)
Tomorrow I plan to head to a store...somewhere...to find something to send Mr. Mousie to the big Cirque du Mousie in the sky. And maybe the rest of his family would prefer to go with him...?
The neighbor on my other side has a cat...is she [the CAT!] a mouser? I must inquire about that, and if so, let her [the cat!] go to work while keeping my dog well contained in the house. Natural means are, after all, the best!
Speaking of the dog.....she's a born hunter, being a German Shepherd and all!
Acting on a hunch, I brought my dog into my car-less garage and ordered her to "Find the mouse! Where's the mouse!?"
And wouldn't you know it, but that dog put her nose down, made a beeline for where I'd last seen that little bugger, looked at me, put her nose back down and made a beeline to the other side of the garage, and given her intensity, I almost expected to hear a mousie-squeak!
Instead she continued to sniff intensely, ran her nose up the wall in that corner, then back down to the corner, focusing her "investigation".
One does not need to be an expert to realize that my dog, indeed, has found the scent and the mouse himself, perhaps.
That tells me where to put the trap.
Sadly, though, it confirms what I believe: that the mouse came from my new neighbor, and that tells me there are likely more. I will have to be very aggressive in my initial breach of their nest to ensure they do not continue to reproduce.
Yes, I love animals, and this very evening I gave a short talk on Stewardship of Creation, part of Catholic Social Teaching.
We have to recall that good stewardship involves controlling animal infestations. The mouse population in the world is not in danger, and in fact, given the harm they do, I have no qualms about killing them. No, I am not going to use a "humane trap." I am going to wipe out the mouse family. I'm sorry if you're offended by my position but it is not contrary to Catholic teaching in any way shape, or form. I reserve the right to defend my home from vermin in the way I see fit, and according to all applicable laws, religious and secular.
Had the mouse not breached my own property, he and his progeny would be safe. If I lived on a farm, maybe they'd be relocated, maybe not. I don't know: I live in the city and in the city, mice are just plain dangerous and destructive.
But this mouse is NOT going to infest my home with its filth. Nor is it going to spread to my other neighbor. We live in very close quarters here, and something like this could all too easily get out of control.
The Mouse Stops Here.
(To be Continued.....)
*
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