Generally I quite like surprises. Having a mouse scurry under my feet in the house, first thing in the morning would not be ranked one of my favourites. We have, as you probably know, three cats. So, with a house full of cats, how did it happen that I came downstairs this morning to be faced with a (live) mouse in the house? The cats knew it was there. The poor little thing was terrified, running around and hiding frantically. So what did the cats do? They squabbled with each other over whose mouse it was. They chased it a bit, of course, then they sat and looked at it. Face to face, at one point. So it was up to me to catch it (by putting an upturned plastic pot over it) and take it outside to get on with its life. It was a cute little thing, catching its breath in the grass. This photo was actually taken years ago, as this morning was not the time for a photo session.

May all your unusual surprises end as well as this one did.

My gallery of photographs featuring animals including this little guy is here: https://www.elliekennard.ca/ekgallery/animals/
#EllieKPosts #mouse #MouseInTheHouse #MouseMonday #wildlifewednesday

I've tried cleaning, exclusionary measures, repellents, snap traps (it licked peanut butter right off, and won't touch raisins I think it's experienced them before), and I'm reluctant to try poisons. At what point do I conclude that I have a pet mouse?

#mousehunt #mouseinthehouse #pets #IntelligentVermin

I've done a bunch to mouse-proof my house, and yet, a bold one ran out in front of me. So time for the traps. I baited them with peanut butter, and put them in his pathways. Fool proof! I found them later with the peanut butter carefully licked off, not triggered. This mouse ain't a fool! I need a cat.

#vermin #mouseinthehouse #smartrodents