A Mouse's Tale

It's quite long and a little sad.

Spotted this healthy, large and lively mouse IN THE LIVING ROOM this afternoon whilst the cat slept on the sofa.  After some cushion throwing by Sam and some sofa lifting by me, it scampered into my office - cat still sleeping...

With Sam watching the escape routes I found a plastic see through bowl and calmly managed to surprise it and capture it underneath.  I then took some photos, pretty pleased with myself and my potential blip.

Then I tried to slide a thin piece of cardboard under the bowl and OMG it escaped....

Grrr.  Tension mounted.  I was in the middle of cooking tea and was getting picked up in 20 minutes to go to see Wuthering Heights with Sarah and Kate.  Sam was already rather twitchy about the mouse being at large (the cat was still asleep).

I moved all the bags on top and retrieved the 'humane' mouse trap that had been set behind the washing machine ages ago.  A sturdy metal thing that lets mice in but not out.  Turned out there were two dead mice in there, one that had been there for quite some time - so it had not been so humane after all.

Scrubbed and scraped that mess out and reset with peanut butter and placed in my office.  Cat had stalked off on some other business by now.

Instructed Sam and the dog firmly to NOT GO IN, as I need to keep the mouse contained, both of whom disobeyed me, Sam apparently for Snapchat reasons...

Went out..telling Sam to relax and keep revising as he's in the middle of exams.

Received message that mouse had been captured at the interval.  (Phew)

Returned home to release the mouse on the green over the road.  The place is dark but the mouse would NOT come out of the metal box.  There are two sections in the box in which it could hide and I could only see it's tail.  At 10.15pm I stood there for 20 minutes waiting with the box on the ground. Inevitably I attracted the attention of late night dog walkers, one of whom came over to help, he pulled the tail...and the skin came off in his hand. :-(  I think he was a bit traumatised.

I left the box upside down on the green.

I went back to check it at 10.45pm and the mouse was still in there, with blood streaks on the box from it's bare tail.  I jiggled again and eventually it ran away.

Geeez.

I expect it will be back in the house tomorrow & the cats and dog will be getting a dressing down.