Thank you for the kind suggestions about what to do with my little mouse-in-the-dog-food issue. Because I know the people are dying to find out what happened, I can tell you ... I followed Karen's advice and left the mouse in the closed dog-food container for my sweet husband.
Yes, I'm a feminist. But marriage is about collaboration.
I did not, however, follow Karen's advice to a T and flee to the safety of a margarita bar, where I would then call her for backup. This was, admittedly, a huge oversight on my part. However, because I stayed sober and on the scene, I was able to shut.it.down. when My Guy showed up and thought he would capture the mouse in a cereal bowl.
Yes, a bowl from which we eat food. A shallow-ish bowl.
I looked at him and looked at the bowl. And earning triple points with Jesus, I refrained from saying, "Are you fucking kidding me?" No. Instead, I said, "Hmm. What will you do with him after you catch him?" You know, completely skipping over the fact that it was a cereal bowl and wouldn't even contain the varmint.
I guess my sweet husband was looking to appear to take charge without actually taking any action. He shrugged and put the bowl away, and we agreed that the mouse could lounge in the dog-food container until we came up with a better plan.
Two days later, we dumped the remaining dog food and the mouse in the trash can. Trash day is tomorrow. Either the mouse has eaten himself to death, or he's about to go for the ride of his life.
I guess it's the path of least resistance. My hope is that it's the ultimate mouse death - dying doing something you love.
I couldn't bring myself to flush the critter, per Jenny's advice. Much like reader Cinny, I have seen first-hand the devastation of a sewer backup caused by mice. Oh, the humanity!
Sigh.
I do think we should all take a moment and appreciate CookingWithGas, who reports that she drove around in a car infested by mice. That should definitely qualify for some sort of Girl Scout badge - maybe for creating an art installation, or just generally being a badass.
Me? I'm OK with skipping the mice-related badges.
At least it's gone now. Keeping my fingers crossed that this was a rogue mouse without family in the area...
ReplyDeletegood solution to your problem.
ReplyDeleteI should clarify why I drove around with the mouse in my car. I tried to get her out.
Then I set up a box with a hole cut in it and stashed a container of mouse treats, poison, in the box. There are times that the mouse, if it has plenty to eat, will just store the sweet pellets for later.
We were heading out of town for the day when I opened the truck to find that the mouse had apparently had babies.
I closed the truck and off we went to handle all sorts of family issues that had to do with estates and government.
Now this is getting too long.
We rid the truck of the car with a shop vac babies momma and all. It is not the first time we have suck them up with a vac.
Empty as soon as possible- or toss the bag.
There are reasons I have a man in my life and this is one.
Plus- I like been a bad-ass.
My husband is in charge of vermin too. Because I used to live over a grocery store and dealt with mice so often that I'm just done forever now.
ReplyDeleteThrowing the critter out in the trash is a totally legit tactic. The people who make the little poison pellets who say that the mice will eat the poison & then go somewhere else to die? Those people are lying liars. Those mice die nearby, like under something large, or stuck in a roach motel.
But vacuuming up mice? That is total badassery.
Reminds me of the time our cats trapped what my husband said was 'a very large mouse' under a book case. While I was running around from Wal-Mart to Lowes to Home Depot looking for a have-a-heart trap large enough for a large mouse, he called to say that he managed to capture the 'chipmunk' in a fish tank net. He planned to put it into a plastic pitcher so we could take it to a local park. It took awhile, but I finally convinced him to make the transfer outside. He thanked me when I arrived home as the transfer didn't go well and the chipmunk escaped into the garden.
ReplyDeleteI am highly impressed with your ability to remain on the premises (a cereal bowl... seriously?!). I am also highly impressed with CookingWithGas, because I would have done anything to avoid driving a car with mice on-board.
ReplyDeleteThere was an incident in my past with a deceased possum in my garage. My husband was deployed to the Middle East, so I went around begging help from neighbors, then stood in the middle of the street freaking out while a 71yo man scooped up the critter and put it in the garbage can. (I now hate possums as much as I hate mice.)
Speaking as a registered Girl Scout and leader of a troop of girls, I am in AWE of cookingwith gas! There should be a BAD ASS badge because she totally earned it! Athough, I will say ChaCha you did too by not beating MYGuy over the head with said cereal bowl for the plan with the least amount of thought. Glad the vermin is gone, and you didnt have to touch it. Shudder.
ReplyDeleteI can't even leave a coherent comment such is my fear of rodents.
ReplyDelete