A Game of Cat and Mouse

A few days ago, I sat in the dining room and noticed a rodent skitter across the floor and disappear under the oven. I alerted Ed in a not very calm manner, and he carefully peered beneath the oven. The rodent did not fear Ed, and charged out of the oven, across the floor, and into one of the many children's play spaces in our home.

I was horrified.

Ed put up a small barrier to the room and suggested we had it cornered. He was willing to go for the kill. But I didn't really want blood on the carpet, and I was so freaked out by the whole thing at this point that I just could not provide any assistance to what Ed was describing as a two-person job.

So we decided to set out traps instead. Every other time we have seen a mouse in our home, the damn thing finds its way into a trap that night.

Not so with this creature. So I called in reinforcements.

A friend of mine offered to bring her cat over. Here, it is important to mention, that I am also terrified of cats, and I was very much fearing an "I don't know why she swallowed the fly" sort of situation with mice, cats, dogs, and who knows what!

In the, I gratefully accepted the cat, and except for one moment during a conference call when she launched herself into my lap, all was well.

The cat sniffed all around, which gave me great hope.

At one point, she paused dramatically, training her sights on...

nothing.

In the end, no mice were caught, but when Connor and his friend came home, they just about flipped at seeing the cat (since the cat belonged to the friend)! Helen was also thrilled to see the cat.

This mouse is the closest I have ever come to being willing to get a cat - even though I am terrified of them and Helen, Connor, and I are all allergic.

The very worst part about knowing this mouse is in the house is that when I get up to go running at 5:30, I feel there is a very real chance we will come face to face again, and I really do not want that to happen.

Elaine

The mouse is very clever. Night one, it did not go into the trap. Night two, we set out a peanut butter snap trap, and the mouse ignored it. Night three, the mouse ate the peanut butter so tonight, we will actually set the trap. Please, let it get caught and NOT be making a ruckus when I get up to go running. Fingers crossed!