I had a mouse.

He was living in my kitchen for a week or so.

I got some great no-kill traps from Home Depot. Small gray
plastic boxes with a gravity lid that stays open while the
trap is tilted forward, but slips shut once it tilts back.

Exactly these:

http://doitbest.com/shop/product.asp...386&sku=769878

Caught the little bugger twice, actually.

But not without some tweaking.

Originally, I'd heard scratching noises, like small teeth
on old pasta, coming from under the oven. And I saw little
black caraway seed-shaped rodent spoor under the sink.

That's how I knew I was being visited, and then I bought
the traps. Less than $4 for a 2-pack.

At first, I tried some Caciqe Asadero, terrific mexican
melting cheese, practically a cheese spread in its raw
form, really. Beautiful for perfectly smooth cheese sauce.

I put a few grams in each of traps and braced the baseboard
either side of the oven with them, so he couldn't miss.

Next morning, one lid had fallen, but maybe it just fell
on its own, because the cheese was inside and the mouse
wasn't. The balance on these was tricky and the slightest
touch would unset them.

And then I didn't hear him anywhere, so I figured he'd left,
so I put the traps away.

A couple of days later, I heard scratching noises again.

So I reset the traps, with Stilton, hoping that unlike the
mild Asadero it would have the aroma of rot and depth that
a mouse would seek out.

Half an hour later, sitting on the sofa, I heard a lid fall.

I went to the kitchen, lifted the trap and something jumped
inside.

But, curious like any cat, I wanted to see my prey.
So I grabbed a handy (dirty) 1-quart pyrex measuring
cup, and a heavy book (The Art of Eating, by MFK Fisher).
I placed the book over the cup, save an inch for the mouth
of the trap. I opened the trap. In the same motion, the
mouse fell from the trap, turned, and leapt out through the
tiny space remaining. He caromed off the toaster oven,
flew to the floor, tried the trash can as a hiding spot,
found no opening underneath, then turned and made for
the refrigerator. Total time to escape to invisibility:
about 0.7 seconds.

Left me standing, agape, trap and book in hand.

Damn.

There I named him. Zippy the Wonder Mouse.

I refilled the traps with store-brand cheddar (still
experimenting rather than just going with what works),
and this morning, one of the traps was sprung but empty.
I'd left the rather large chunks of cheddar an inch or
so from the back of the trap, so as to avoid having them
simply tilt themselves, but clearly, that was a mistake.
He'd reached in and got the bait, then had room to get
out without the lid dropping far enough to lock shut.

Bugger.

No more mister nice mouser.

I didn't hear anything, so I figured he had left again.
I looked through all the cabinets and drawers, and man,
mice can really make the jimmies when they want to.
My main gadget drawer was a mess. I unloaded everything
into the dishwasher, plus all the pans from one cabinet
that had several nodules in it, and ran a heavy-wash cycle
(3 hours of washing and rinsing in my Maytag MDB7600).

Then I took the Chlorox Cleanup to the drawers and cabinets.
One thing desert folk need to be careful of with rodents
is Hantavirus, so I soaked and let set before I wiped.

About dinnertime, I heard rattlings in an empty kitchen.

I went in and turned on the light, and saw the little grey
pischer run behind the microwave.

I got the traps, put just a pinch of Stilton in each, and
boxed him in.

Ten minutes later, I heard what could only be the long
wooden chopstick I'd set next to the sink. Ten feet from
the microwave.

Boshemoi! He'd walked right past the traps!

I went back into the kitchen, and he was nowhere to be found.

So returned to my movie, and waited.

Twenty more minutes, and aha! The sound of a lid dropping,
and tiny frustrations rising.

I tiptoed in, lifted the tripped trap, and sure enough,
it had a resident rodent.

Having no reason to care to see what he looked like a
second time, I slipped on my shoes and dropped him out of
the trap into the dark in the ditch beyond the backyard
fence.

Maybe the rabbits will adopt him before the snakes and
coyotes do.

--Blair
"This ain't no Habitrail."

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 07:31:16 GMT, Blair P. Houghton > wrote:

>I had a mouse.
<snip amussing saga>
>
>Then I took the Chlorox Cleanup to the drawers and cabinets.
>One thing desert folk need to be careful of with rodents
>is Hantavirus, so I soaked and let set before I wiped.

Caution for others: *my* mouse had been in the silverware drawer, so I
filled the sink with hot water, detergent, and some bleach, and dumped
all the silverware in there. Sterling does *not* like bleach! It's
been several years now, and I'm *still* trying to get the black spots
off.

> --Blair
> "This ain't no Habitrail."

Very funny. :-)

In article >, says...
> I had a mouse.
>
> He was living in my kitchen for a week or so.
>
> I got some great no-kill traps from Home Depot. Small gray
> plastic boxes with a gravity lid that stays open while the
> trap is tilted forward, but slips shut once it tilts back.
>
> Exactly these:
>
> http://doitbest.com/shop/product.asp...386&sku=769878

I just use the cat method. Three of them to be precise.

Mice don't stand a chance here - I've actually watched two of my cats
corner a mouse and proceed to play with it, then gut it. Fascinating.

"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
...
snip mouse tail
>
> --Blair
> "This ain't no Habitrail."

I hope he appreciates your charity with his life and keeps his little mouth
shut. Some of them just can't help but brag about the cuisine and the next
thing you know everyone is stopping by for some Stilton. ;o)
Janet

Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
dry up and fall off like cheese.

Nancree wrote:
> Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago.
> They seem to like the color and taste. The advantage is that the
> gumdrops last. They don't dry up and fall off like cheese.

Uh, are you trying to trap them or feed them treats?! LOL

jmcquown > wrote:
>
>Uh, are you trying to trap them or feed them treats?! LOL

You're a girl. You know there's no difference.

--Blair
"I'm a boy. Took me 20 years
to figure it out."

Nancree wrote:

> Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
> like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
> dry up and fall off like cheese.

In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
as trap bait by both rats and mice.

Unfortunately, squirrels seem not to care for them a bit.
Still working on that squirrel in my attic.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> Nancree wrote:
>
>> Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago.
>> They seem to like the color and taste. The advantage is that the
>> gumdrops last. They don't dry up and fall off like cheese.
>
> In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
> as trap bait by both rats and mice.
>
> Unfortunately, squirrels seem not to care for them a bit.
> Still working on that squirrel in my attic.

Raw peanuts in the shell, Mark!

Jill

In article >, says...
> Nancree wrote:
>
> > Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
> > like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
> > dry up and fall off like cheese.
>
> In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
> as trap bait by both rats and mice.
>
> Unfortunately, squirrels seem not to care for them a bit.
> Still working on that squirrel in my attic.

Plain old peanut butter. Has worked fine for years when I've used traps.

Mark Thorson > wrote:
>In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
>as trap bait by both rats and mice.

I'd use peanut butter, but it would get messy, as the trap
is just a 1x1x4 box, and after the first capture I'd have
Thai basted mouse and trap. Then I'd have to wash them
so I could attract the next mouse to the back of the trap.

If I was using traditional spring traps, I'd probably
have turned to PB by now, as Stilton is crumbly and likely
easy for these little eggheads to snatch without applying
any downward force.

But I'd have to buy PB. And the smallest jar of PB,
even on sale, is $2.29 this week at Safeway, while two
spring traps are 98 cents, and I have way too much spare
Stilton rind.

>Unfortunately, squirrels seem not to care for them a bit.
>Still working on that squirrel in my attic.

Squirrels probably like a nice pecorino-romano....

--Blair
"Better hope he's not one of those
Limburger freaks."

Mark Thorson wrote:
> Nancree wrote:
>
>
>>Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
>>like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
>>dry up and fall off like cheese.
>
>
> In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
> as trap bait by both rats and mice.

In my experience, mice like spicy meat - I've seen them go for bulgogi
(the more garlicky the better) and pepperoni. Tie it to the base before
setting the trap.

-j.

In article >, joshiro911
@hotmail.com says...
> Mark Thorson wrote:
> > Nancree wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
> >>like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
> >>dry up and fall off like cheese.
> >
> >
> > In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
> > as trap bait by both rats and mice.
>
> In my experience, mice like spicy meat - I've seen them go for bulgogi
> (the more garlicky the better) and pepperoni. Tie it to the base before
> setting the trap.

They go for anything with a heavy aroma - so some cheeses, peanut
butter, spiced meats etc. work well.

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 21:59:15 GMT, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>Nancree wrote:
>
>> Mice also love gumdrops. Honestly! I read this tip years ago. They seem to
>> like the color and taste. The advantage is that the gumdrops last. They don't
>> dry up and fall off like cheese.
>
>In my experience, Resse's Peanut Butter Cups are beloved
>as trap bait by both rats and mice.
>
>Unfortunately, squirrels seem not to care for them a bit.
>Still working on that squirrel in my attic.
>
my dad had a raccoon in the attic. the exterminator told him, 'well
you got to watch where they come in and out.'

dad says, 'how can i watch them? they're nocturnal'

the exterminator says, 'i know they're not. but you got to watch them
anyway.'

your pal,
blake

Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> I had a mouse.
>
> He was living in my kitchen for a week or so.
>
> I got some great no-kill traps from Home Depot. Small gray
> plastic boxes with a gravity lid that stays open while the
> trap is tilted forward, but slips shut once it tilts back.
(snip)
> --Blair
> "This ain't no Habitrail."

What's the point of no-kill traps for mice? The cheeky little buggers will
just come back inside where it's warm and go after the Stilton (again). I'm
all for being humane, but these are invasive critters. Unless you want to
start breeding them to sell to pet stores to feed to snakes, you have to nip
the problem in the bud!

I had a mouse problem when they started digging up the field across the
street to build some houses. True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times in an
hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it well behind the
refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access. They ate it, gluttons that
they are, then wandered off to wherever they go when you can't find them and
were not seen or heard from again.

Jill

In article >,
says...
> Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> > I had a mouse.
> >
> > He was living in my kitchen for a week or so.
> >
> > I got some great no-kill traps from Home Depot. Small gray
> > plastic boxes with a gravity lid that stays open while the
> > trap is tilted forward, but slips shut once it tilts back.
> (snip)
> > --Blair
> > "This ain't no Habitrail."
>
> What's the point of no-kill traps for mice? The cheeky little buggers will
> just come back inside where it's warm and go after the Stilton (again). I'm
> all for being humane, but these are invasive critters. Unless you want to
> start breeding them to sell to pet stores to feed to snakes, you have to nip
> the problem in the bud!
>
> I had a mouse problem when they started digging up the field across the
> street to build some houses. True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
> And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times in an
> hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it well behind the
> refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access. They ate it, gluttons that
> they are, then wandered off to wherever they go when you can't find them and
> were not seen or heard from again.

I've rescued a couple of mice from the cats. For instance, one night I
notice the smallest cat is acting a little funny so I call out her name.

She turns around and there's a mouse in her mouth. And of course when
she looks at me she drops the mouse. It runs into a corner so I grabbed
an empty plastic container from the nights Chinese take out, managed to
get the mouse in it and then took it outside and released it.

Now I just let em' have the kill. I just wish they'd leave the hollowed
out bodies in a place where I can find em' instead of having them later
deposit the now dried out hollowed out shell of a mouse on places like
my chair or the couch.

I have noted that the problem has gotten worse since they tore up the
old farmers market behind me and the old manufacturing sector that's
about a half mile to my west. And I'll mention that since the restaurant
downstairs converted once again the pest problem has gotten worse. When
the Italian and Japanese restaurants were in it's place they used to
bait like crazy and we didn't see any mice. Now I *NEVER* see the
exterminators truck. I've been meaning to talk to my landlord about
that.

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 07:51:02 -0600, "jmcquown"
> wrote:
> True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
> And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times in an
> hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it well behind the
> refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access. They ate it, gluttons that
> they are, then wandered off to wherever they go when you can't find them and
> were not seen or heard from again.
>
The problem is you can SMELL them! I'd rather empty my
traps 14 times in an hour (yes, I've done that in the past)
than smell them for a week while they decompose.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 07:51:02 -0600, "jmcquown"
> > wrote:
>> True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
>> And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times
>> in an hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it
>> well behind the refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access.
>> They ate it, gluttons that they are, then wandered off to wherever
>> they go when you can't find them and were not seen or heard from
>> again.
>>
> The problem is you can SMELL them!

Nope... I never had that dead mouse scent in my house. I don't know if the
walls were particularly thick or well insulated or if the critters dragged
themselves outside to die. Never had that smell problem.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:

>
> I had a mouse problem when they started digging up the field across the
> street to build some houses. True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
> And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times in an
> hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it well behind the
> refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access. They ate it, gluttons that
> they are, then wandered off to wherever they go when you can't find them and
> were not seen or heard from again.

Living in the country, we get mouse problems every winter when the mice decide
to find warmer quarters. I never found traps to be much use. We catch a few but
that does not get rid of the problem. Rodent bait seems to be much more
effective.

I keep meaning to try something that I heard on the radio. Leave pieces of
Juicy Fruit Gum for them. Mice and rats will not eat mint, and Juicy Fruit has
no mint in it. The rodents will go for it because it is sweet. They cannot
digest it and it clocks up their intestines and they die. It sounds like a
cheap solution to a rodent problem.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 18:11:38 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>
> I keep meaning to try something that I heard on the radio. Leave pieces of
> Juicy Fruit Gum for them. Mice and rats will not eat mint, and Juicy Fruit has
> no mint in it. The rodents will go for it because it is sweet. They cannot
> digest it and it clocks up their intestines and they die. It sounds like a
> cheap solution to a rodent problem.
>

IOW: Rodents will be constipated to death? That'll put a
damper on people buying it for human consumption! <S>



Practice safe eating - always use condiments

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 18:11:38 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>jmcquown wrote:
>
>>
>> I had a mouse problem when they started digging up the field across the
>> street to build some houses. True, your regular mouse trap is a tad messy.
>> And after hearing the thing snap shut and emptying it about 6 times in an
>> hour I decided perhaps poison bait would be better. Put it well behind the
>> refrigerator so as not to allow the pets access. They ate it, gluttons that
>> they are, then wandered off to wherever they go when you can't find them and
>> were not seen or heard from again.
>
>Living in the country, we get mouse problems every winter when the mice decide
>to find warmer quarters. I never found traps to be much use. We catch a few but
>that does not get rid of the problem. Rodent bait seems to be much more
>effective.
>
>I keep meaning to try something that I heard on the radio. Leave pieces of
>Juicy Fruit Gum for them. Mice and rats will not eat mint, and Juicy Fruit has
>no mint in it. The rodents will go for it because it is sweet. They cannot
>digest it and it clocks up their intestines and they die. It sounds like a
>cheap solution to a rodent problem.
>
>
Sounds like a Smelly rodent problem if they go off and die inside the
house in some unreachable spot. Call an exterminator or get a
[mouser-type] cat.

Harry

In article >, Blair P.
Houghton > wrote:

> I had a mouse.

(hilarious story snipped)

> But, curious like any cat, I wanted to see my prey.
> So I grabbed a handy (dirty) 1-quart pyrex measuring
> cup, and a heavy book (The Art of Eating, by MFK Fisher).
> I placed the book over the cup, save an inch for the mouth
> of the trap. I opened the trap. In the same motion, the
> mouse fell from the trap, turned, and leapt out through the
> tiny space remaining. He caromed off the toaster oven,
> flew to the floor, tried the trash can as a hiding spot,
> found no opening underneath, then turned and made for
> the refrigerator. Total time to escape to invisibility:
> about 0.7 seconds.

"Oh, what fools these mortals be."

> Maybe the rabbits will adopt him before the snakes and
> coyotes do.

Or maybe not.
"Here, kittykitty; here, kittykitty."
--
-Barb
12-23-03: Tourtiere pictures and recipe have been
added to my site: <www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >, Blair P.
> Houghton > wrote:
>
>
>>I had a mouse.
>
>
> (hilarious story snipped)
>
>
>>But, curious like any cat, I wanted to see my prey.
>>So I grabbed a handy (dirty) 1-quart pyrex measuring
>>cup, and a heavy book (The Art of Eating, by MFK Fisher).
>>I placed the book over the cup, save an inch for the mouth
>>of the trap. I opened the trap. In the same motion, the
>>mouse fell from the trap, turned, and leapt out through the
>>tiny space remaining. He caromed off the toaster oven,
>>flew to the floor, tried the trash can as a hiding spot,
>>found no opening underneath, then turned and made for
>>the refrigerator. Total time to escape to invisibility:
>>about 0.7 seconds.
>
>
> "Oh, what fools these mortals be."
>
>
>>Maybe the rabbits will adopt him before the snakes and
>>coyotes do.
>
>
> Or maybe not.
> "Here, kittykitty; here, kittykitty."

I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
found its corpse.

I hope that this was the only one. Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.

Barbara, remember the sound you heard while you were here? Maybe it was
the mouse and not the alarm in the radiator or in the smoke alarm.
Debbie heard it, too, but now it is gone.

I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
kill a mouse.

This morning, I called one of the building's porters, to check on the
traps that are still here. They were empty and I hope that they stay
that way. Tandoora is still staying out of the kitchen.

Happy New Year, Margaret

Margaret Suran wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article >, Blair P.
>> Houghton > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I had a mouse.
>>
>>
>> (hilarious story snipped)
>>
>>
>>> But, curious like any cat, I wanted to see my prey.
(snip)
>> Or maybe not.
>> "Here, kittykitty; here, kittykitty."
>
> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and
> do something. He put out several glue traps and the next day,
> yesterday, I found its corpse.
>
> I hope that this was the only one. Tandoora, my cat, acted like a
> true feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected
> there might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.
>
(laughing) Persia is terrified of mice! I was walking to the kitchen one
morning and she was ahead of me, hoping for some treat. She stopped and
uttered a squeak! I nearly tripped over her. She spotted a mouse (it was
dead) and would not enter the kitchen until I assured her it had been
properly disposed of. Sheesh, a cat afraid of mice. What will they think
of next?

Jill

Margaret Suran wrote:
>
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > In article >, Blair P.
> > Houghton > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I had a mouse.
> >
> >
> > (hilarious story snipped)
> >
> >
> >>But, curious like any cat, I wanted to see my prey.
> >>So I grabbed a handy (dirty) 1-quart pyrex measuring
> >>cup, and a heavy book (The Art of Eating, by MFK Fisher).
> >>I placed the book over the cup, save an inch for the mouth
> >>of the trap. I opened the trap. In the same motion, the
> >>mouse fell from the trap, turned, and leapt out through the
> >>tiny space remaining. He caromed off the toaster oven,
> >>flew to the floor, tried the trash can as a hiding spot,
> >>found no opening underneath, then turned and made for
> >>the refrigerator. Total time to escape to invisibility:
> >>about 0.7 seconds.
> >
> >
> > "Oh, what fools these mortals be."
> >
> >
> >>Maybe the rabbits will adopt him before the snakes and
> >>coyotes do.
> >
> >
> > Or maybe not.
> > "Here, kittykitty; here, kittykitty."
>
> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
> something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
> found its corpse.
>
> I hope that this was the only one. Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
> feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
> might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.
>
> Barbara, remember the sound you heard while you were here? Maybe it was
> the mouse and not the alarm in the radiator or in the smoke alarm.
> Debbie heard it, too, but now it is gone.
>
> I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
> every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
> building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
> had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
> play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
> kill a mouse.
>
> This morning, I called one of the building's porters, to check on the
> traps that are still here. They were empty and I hope that they stay
> that way. Tandoora is still staying out of the kitchen.
>
> Happy New Year, Margaret

Tandoora is probably afraid of the mouse traps more than the mice.

There is a standard method to keep cats off selected places. Get half a dozen
small mouse traps. Arm them and set them _FACE DOWN_ (very carefully of
course) on whatever surface you want to keep cats off. Cover with a newspaper.
The cat will go to that spot once and never more. The traps will not harm the
cat when they trigger.

My daughter just had a baby. The cat took a liking for the crib when the baby
was not there. After having to wash the crib linens once too many times we did
just what I described. No more cat problems.

Bert

wrote:
> Margaret Suran wrote:
>>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>> In article >, Blair P.
>>> Houghton > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> I had a mouse.
>>>
>>>
>>> (hilarious story snipped)
>>>
>>>
> My daughter just had a baby. The cat took a liking for the crib when
> the baby was not there. After having to wash the crib linens once too
> many times we did just what I described. No more cat problems.
>
> Bert

Why not simply close the door? No need to scare the poor cat to death. The
child will outgrow the crib eventually. You're going to make the cat
terrified to even go into the room with the kid.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
>
> wrote:
> > Margaret Suran wrote:
> >>
> >> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >>> In article >, Blair P.
> >>> Houghton > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> I had a mouse.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> (hilarious story snipped)
> >>>
> >>>
> > My daughter just had a baby. The cat took a liking for the crib when
> > the baby was not there. After having to wash the crib linens once too
> > many times we did just what I described. No more cat problems.
> >
> > Bert
>
> Why not simply close the door? No need to scare the poor cat to death. The
> child will outgrow the crib eventually. You're going to make the cat
> terrified to even go into the room with the kid.
>
> Jill

The cat is very fast and will outrun anyone to get to a barely open door. My
daughter has to keep the door open to hear the baby (he is less than two
months old) who is in an on-demand breast feeding schedule. It is best to
train the cat.

The cat, by the way, is an outside cat. She goes in and out whenever the
outside doors get open. She does not get terrified easily at almost anything.

Bert

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 14:44:34 GMT, Margaret Suran
> wrote:

> Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
> feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
> might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.
>
LOL1 She doesn't like wild animals in your house any more
than you do.

<snip>
>
> I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
> every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
> building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
> had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
> play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
> kill a mouse.

According to what I've heard/read, cats need to be trained
by their mothers to catch and kill mice. Otherwise mice are
interesting playthings to them.
>
> Tandoora is still staying out of the kitchen.
>
LOL! Let's face it, NYC mice are brazen and don't scare
easily.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 14:44:34 GMT, Margaret Suran
> > wrote:
>
>
>> Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
>> feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
>> might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.
>>
>
> LOL1 She doesn't like wild animals in your house any more
> than you do.
>
> <snip>
>
>>
>> I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
>> every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
>> building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
>> had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
>> play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
>> kill a mouse.
>
>
> According to what I've heard/read, cats need to be trained
> by their mothers to catch and kill mice. Otherwise mice are
> interesting playthings to them.
>
>>
>> Tandoora is still staying out of the kitchen.
>>
>
> LOL! Let's face it, NYC mice are brazen and don't scare
> easily.
>
>

The mouse wasn't brazen, Tandoora either does not know that she is a
cat or she knows that she will get something tastier if she comes to me
and tells me to feed her. )

Ajax, a cat I had many years ago, would catch flies. She would catch
them between her two front paws, then open them in order to see whether
the little insect was really caught. Of course her prey would fly away
and Ajax would scream with rage. Ajax was my best hunter, so you can
imagine how good the other six were.

In article >,
says...
> On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 14:44:34 GMT, Margaret Suran
> > wrote:
>
> > Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
> > feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
> > might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.
> >
> LOL1 She doesn't like wild animals in your house any more
> than you do.
>
> <snip>
> >
> > I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
> > every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
> > building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
> > had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
> > play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
> > kill a mouse.
>
> According to what I've heard/read, cats need to be trained
> by their mothers to catch and kill mice. Otherwise mice are
> interesting playthings to them.

That is probably true. Cats do learn from humans and other cats - for
example I believe in the case of the middle cat (Emily, a 6.5lb female
felid) who came into the household at a total of 6 weeks old, we
encouraged the mousing by buying her those little stuffed mice and
helping her play with them.

The youngest cat (Cosimo, 25lb male felid) learned mousing from her I
suspect.

So when the eldest cat finally gives up the ghost I'll have to get a
youngish kitten and go through the same routine. But that probably won't
happen for another 5+ years, the eldest cat (Randy, 11lb male felid) is
only 14 years old.

In article >, icu2@pipeline
dot com wrote:
(snip)
> According to what I've heard/read, cats need to be trained by their
> mothers to catch and kill mice. Otherwise mice are interesting
> playthings to them.

Oh, sure, blame it on the mom!!!
--
-Barb
12-28-03: Tourtiere picture added to my site: <www.jamlady.eboard.com>
Also a picture of my Baba Authorized struhadlo for making halushky
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:12:09 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

> In article >, icu2@pipeline
> dot com wrote:
> (snip)
> > According to what I've heard/read, cats need to be trained by their
> > mothers to catch and kill mice. Otherwise mice are interesting
> > playthings to them.
>
> Oh, sure, blame it on the mom!!!

LOL! Isn't it always our fault?



Practice safe eating - always use condiments

In article .net>,
Margaret Suran > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > Or maybe not.
> > "Here, kittykitty; here, kittykitty."
>
> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
> something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
> found its corpse.
>
> I hope that this was the only one. Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
> feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
> might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.

Once again proving her place on this earth. :-0)
>
> Barbara, remember the sound you heard while you were here?

I do.

>Maybe it was the mouse and not the alarm in the radiator or in the
>smoke alarm. Debbie heard it, too, but now it is gone.

Don't know. Do mousies sound like chirping smoke alarms? I never heard
what I would describe as the pitter patter of little feet.

> I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
> every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
> building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
> had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
> play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
> kill a mouse.

Those weren't real cats. They were PETA members in cats' clothing. You
needed Ma Cat, one of the country's finest mousers of the '50s. A
self-respecting girl. Ma Cat made mouncemeat out of more than one
little critter on our farm. Her ne'er do well son, Whitey, though,
wouldn't have known what to do with a mousie if it opened his jaws and
walked right in! The lout!

> This morning, I called one of the building's porters, to check on the
> traps that are still here. They were empty and I hope that they stay
> that way. Tandoora is still staying out of the kitchen.

What a chickenshit! LOL!!!
Love to eat them mouseys
Mouseys what I love to eat
Bite they little heads off
Nibble on they tiny feet.
-The Kliban Kat
--
-Barb
12-23-03: Tourtiere pictures and recipe have been
added to my site: <www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"If you're ever in a jam, here I am."

In article >,
says...

> What a chickenshit! LOL!!!
> Love to eat them mouseys
> Mouseys what I love to eat
> Bite they little heads off
> Nibble on they tiny feet.
> -The Kliban Kat

All three of mine are proven mousers.

I've always wondered though why they don't make mouse flavored cat food,
or for that matter, pigeon flavored, canary flavored, etc.

Living in the city doesn't help the poor things but when they do see a
bird pirched nearby they go nuts. The ack-ack-ack sounds and all.

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 15:53:03 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:


> Those weren't real cats. They were PETA members in cats' clothing. You
> needed Ma Cat, one of the country's finest mousers of the '50s. A
> self-respecting girl. Ma Cat made mouncemeat out of more than one
> little critter on our farm. Her ne'er do well son, Whitey, though,
> wouldn't have known what to do with a mousie if it opened his jaws and
> walked right in! The lout!
>
Or maybe he was too well fed. You know how men are.
They are complacent/content as long as they're well taken
care of.



Practice safe eating - always use condiments

In article .net>,
lid says...

> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
> something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
> found its corpse.

Mice very rarely come in onesies.

> I hope that this was the only one. Tandoora, my cat, acted like a true
> feline, at least an apartment kitty: As long as she suspected there
> might be a mouse in the kitchen, she hid in my bedroom.

Ah - mine are well trained mousers though the eldest cat isn't as fast
as he once was and the youngest is a bit large to be stealthy. But the
middle cat - she's the champion. We used to buy her the stuffed mice -
she gutted every one of them. Does that to real mice when she gets one
now.

> Barbara, remember the sound you heard while you were here? Maybe it was
> the mouse and not the alarm in the radiator or in the smoke alarm.
> Debbie heard it, too, but now it is gone.
>
> I live on the 20th floor of an apartment building. Exterminators come
> every week to make sure that no kind of creepy crawly things live in the
> building, yet I have had mice several times before. At those times, I
> had three cats living with me. The cats would actually catch the mouse,
> play with it for a while and then let it go. Not once did one of them
> kill a mouse.

All mine are killers. It's one of the things I love about cats. They're
these cute little furballs and deadly to small things and quite painful
to large things should they desire.

COTTP > wrote:
>In article .net>,
says...
>
>> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
>> something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
>> found its corpse.
>
>Mice very rarely come in onesies.

History: Had a mouse here about two years ago. He left
of his own accord, after doing about the same sorts of
things to the kitchen that this is (these are) doing.

He was tan. This/these are gray.

--Blair
"I was hoping for black."

In article >, says...
> COTTP > wrote:
> >In article .net>,
> says...
> >
> >> I had a mouse. I saw it on Friday and told the Handyman to come and do
> >> something. He put out several glue traps and the next day, yesterday, I
> >> found its corpse.
> >
> >Mice very rarely come in onesies.
>
> History: Had a mouse here about two years ago. He left
> of his own accord, after doing about the same sorts of
> things to the kitchen that this is (these are) doing.
>
> He was tan. This/these are gray.
>
> --Blair
> "I was hoping for black."

I believe the tan guys are field/country mice, the grey guys are your
run of the mill city mice.

Around here they're grey.

>
>I had a mouse.
>

Nice story , Blair. This mouse definitly as good taste.
Rosie

"Blair P. Houghton" wrote:

> And then I didn't hear him anywhere, so I figured he'd left,
> so I put the traps away.

You are the optimist, aren't you?

> I didn't hear anything, so I figured he had left again.

Repeat after me: Mice don't leave.

> I looked through all the cabinets and drawers, and man,
> mice can really make the jimmies when they want to.

They are just disgusting.

> Ten minutes later, I heard what could only be the long
> wooden chopstick I'd set next to the sink. Ten feet from
> the microwave.
>
> Boshemoi! He'd walked right past the traps!

*******!

Now, I'm not saying this to be mean. If you had one mouse, you have
more. You need to keep your trap set, and perhaps think about
releasing the rodents *far* from your house. They will just come
back in. Me, I'm all for the death traps. I know that sounds mean,
but I can't have those things taking over my house.

Thanks for the funny story.

nancy