Mouse in the house

[Cleo_13]

The cats were going crazy this afternoon. At first I thought they were playing with one of their toys. Then I determined they were after a live mouse. Before I could grab them, with my dad's help, the mouse had already been picked up in Josephine's mouth. The mouse escaped behind the bookshelf, and I locked the cats in the bathroom. I have set up a humane mouse trap by the bookshelf, baited with peanut butter. (I hope I set it up correctly). I'll be checking on it often. If I do catch the mouse should I just release it, or should I wait. The only reason I would wait is my fears that he was hurt, since he was in Josephine's mouth.

[Cleo_13]

I put a second trap out. I do not want to lose another mouse to the cats or anyone. However, the cats can't stay in the bathroom forever, that wouldn't be fair to them. I also suspect that the mouse may have already escaped to the basement, where I would have released him/her anyway. The cats have dry food and some water. If I haven't caught anything soon, I'll let them out.

[missPixy]

I'm concerned about the mouse because normally any bite from a cat is treated with antibiotics. would you be able to administer antibiotics to the mouse? baytril, septra?

[Cleo_13]

I think all I can do is hope he is okay, as he seems to have completely gotten away. I have two traps out, but neither has been touched. I have no antibiotics, but if I were to catch him i would do everything in my power to get some. I can't do anything if he is back in the basement though. The cats are no longer in the bathroom, and they show no interest in the bookcase, so I assume he is no longer there. I really hope he hasn't gotten away just to die somewhere else:(

[Cleo_13]

THANK GOODNESS the mouse was not caught in the first trap I set down. I picked it up to put it away this afternoon, and guess what the bait had attracted. ANTS! It was absolutely disgusting, and all I can think about is what if the mouse had been trapped in there. In my opinion, that would be a worse death than being killed by my cats, so while I hope the mouse is okay, I am never putting a trap in that area again. If I absolutely have to, I'll use some other type of bait. (The other trap wasn't touched at all.)

[Best Life]

Yikes! Yup, much rather just about anything other than being swarmed by ants!

I'm sure you know your cats best. I have four indoor cats that have "assisted" in finding many tiny creatures in our house over the years. If there was an injured mouse anywhere in your house within kitty hearing range, they'd be right there, waiting patiently for it to make a move.

My poor cats have actually fallen asleep waiting hours for a lizard (or hamster, or mouse, or little snake) to come out from underneath the refrigerator, or some other completely inaccessible place. A bit lazy, maybe, but at least I know exactly where to look. When the little dickens finally does come out of hiding, my ferocious felines seem to enjoy watching me, the big, clumsy human with the enviable opposable thumbs, try to get hold of it. Brats.

Best of luck!

[Scooterzmom]

I have one of those little speedy Gonzales fellas too, one who has set up housekeeping in the attic behind my bedroom wall (under the eves). I've heard him chew on wood and other things in there on a couple of occasions :( not good.... The other trouble is, I use that space for storage and Mr. Speedy has decided that my winter boots (my precious, best boots at 200$/pair :cry) would make a fine pad... and he chewed off the toe from one of them. So now, I have these gorgeous boots, suuuure, with one of them with a big hole in it - just barely large enough to poke my big toe through it. My husband finds out about that, I'm dead - he had nearly killed me when he learned how much I had paid for them :hidechair Needless to say I am not exactly thrilled.

I have set up a Havaheart trap, baited it with peanut butter, didn't work... tried baiting it with Henry's block, didn't work... tried baiting it with pecans... didn't work. I keep finding the droppings AND I find the blocks hidden in my squirrels room in the closet - so it HAS to be the ouse who takes them there... but the little monster :devil won't take the ones in the trap.

Speedy is just too smart for his own good... but my cat is too lazy to even consider hunting it. So he's set up for life, it seems.

[Ellymae]

Your story reminds me of the time when we had field mice in our house. We live on a rain fed lake, and when it goes dry, we have it cut with a bush hog and the field mice head up to our house. I found some great humane traps that would catch a whole family.

After they were caught, I would get little nesting boxes and put bedding in them and take them far away and release them in the woods. I am such a softie for all critters.

Elly