I hate mice.

[redstatebluegirl]

I spent most of my morning cleaning out my pantry. It seems we have a mouse and he was really busy last night. My husband left the door open, that is the only way he could have gotten in.

We had a cat for years, he passed away last year. We never had a mouse in all the years we had him. I guess I need to find a dog friendly feline at the pound. Just an excuse to get another furry member of the family I guess.

[MoonRiver]

1. Can you use a live trap?

I hate killing little critters.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

15. Mice carry deadly diseases.

[Disaffected]

43. They do,

field mice carry hantavirus for one and, they can chew the electrical wiring and other serious damage. I'm all for ridding your house of mice but just do it in a humane manner.

I live in the country and have taken careful steps to mouse-proof my house (it wasn't that difficult although I realize some situations, particularly in older buildings, it can be more difficult).

And if you ever have to clean out a mouse nest, be sure to spray it with a bleach solution and wear a mask before you start.

[MFM008]

49. So do humans

Flu. EBOLA. Corona virus. You name it.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

62. There's a bit of a difference ...

Humans don't usually gnaw their way into your home, gnaw your wires, gnaw through your food stores, build nests inside appliances and furniture, corrode things with their urine, or leave trails of feces throughout the house.

[MFM008]

72. you haven't met my neighbors.........

[Nature Man]

89. Depends on the humans you know!

[Disaffected]

17. Seconded

"Lethal" mouse traps are for the most part inhumane - especially the ones that trap them in a sticky cardboard box that you are supposed to just toss in the garbage (even if the mouse is still alive)

There are effective live traps readily available. Just check them once a day or two and release the critters outside. And take a few steps to mouse-proof your house (google it) and problem solved. You may even have a wildlife rescue organization in you area that will help with that.

[Kali]

30. yeah releasing them in a strange environment to starve or get eaten

is so much more humane

or even better, making them somebody else's problem

[Demonaut]

35. yes, we should co-exist

let a wild animal back in to the wild?...wtf?

[Disaffected]

44. Yes,

whoever would have thought of that?

[Kali]

48. house mice are human-adapted pests

"letting it go back to the wild" is a feel-good fantasy

it is bullshit. the most likely scenario is they will die as prey or starve. next probability is they will return to your home. third is they will invade someone else's home. WAY down the list, close to never gonna happen, is they will find food and love and live happily ever after.

[Demonaut]

51. then let them be prey, gotta feed the chickens

[Disaffected]

83. So then, following your logic,

to save the mice, let's not limit ourselves to those caught in the house. A humane solution would be to set many "instant kill" mousetraps (if such things actually exist) outdoors as well - the more we trap the better off the mice will be (and let's not concern ourselves with the wild animals who depend on mice as a food source).

And, in the interests of humane animal treatment, why not do other wild critters the save favour? Afterall, most if not all will eventually die of predation, sickness, starvation or old age anyway. Better to put them out of their misery!

/s

[Kali]

84. no that is just stupid thinking and nothing related to keeping a home vermin-free.

the topic is ridding your home of mice and whether your method is humane or not. it isn't about making all of nature be more humane. the whole point is that nature is NOT humane, so the fantasy of live trap and release being the humane way is bullshit. keep thinking in circles while the mice shit all over your house, or die slowly due to feel-good nonsense.

[Disaffected]

85. If you had bothered to read my previous posts

you would know I am fully in favour of getting/keeping mice out of the house. What I take exception to are your attempts at rationalizing the use of inhumane control methods when more acceptable approaches are available.

And, as was said before, returning wild animals to the wild is NOT the heinous act you seem intent on portraying it as.

BTW, where are these "guaranteed-instant-kill" mouse traps you refer to.

[Disaffected]

40. Seriously??

Release them out in your yard or close by (where they came from) - not the Sahara desert.

Mice are naturally preyed upon in any case - let them be owl or coyote food rather than have your cat eat them.

[Kali]

45. you are the one with the fantasy that letting them go is humane

out of sight out of mind, right?

you have no idea what they actually face when you dump them out in an unfamiliar area. disney isn't the real natural world.

if you have vermin in your living space, the most humane thing to do is implement effective exclusion measures to stop them coming in and snap kill traps to get rid of the ones already there.

[Demonaut]

50. so killing those in the house is more humane than letting instinct take its course?

[Kali]

54. I suppose it is subjective to some

a fast instant kill vs being toyed with and eaten alive, starvation, hypothermia.

natural doesn't equal humane. by that logic you should just let them live in your cupboards. share your food and belongings with them. don't worry if they chew up the wiring and start a fire, it is just instinct.

[Demonaut]

56. your logic is rife with fear

[Kali]

57. my logic is simply

logical. no fear, just reality.

[Hekate]

68. Your attitude may be similar to mine when I stomp an unwanted bug: Better luck next time...

...and next incarnation, stay out of my house. The great outdoors is allll yours.

Mice and rats do indeed have an ecological niche right next to humanity, and in the bad old days they helped keep our population in check by spreading Bubonic Plague, among other things.

I'll have one of those frozen girly drinks you mention in your sig-line.

[Kali]

70. exactly, don't get me started on rattlesnakes either

(that will also follow the damn mice inside!)

I do prefer on the rocks, but for MFM colorful boozy slushies are the perfect Lounge libation.

[Hekate]

71. Our little neighborhood in the foothills was built just over 30 years ago, & our first HOA meeting

...was very educational. The original homeowners had stories of all kinds of encounters with migrating tarantulas coming indoors, and for awhile one guy would come collect them for his terrarium. One mom used to think the coyotes were charming as she walked her kids to school, until she saw a neighbor's cat being carried off.

We are right around the corner to full-on suburbia, but are reminded all the time that humans were not the original inhabitants, and other critters still live here. I'm grateful the tarantulas seem to have moved on, tho.

[Disaffected]

87. Yes,

it's called live and let live (even wild animals).

One main reason BTW wild animals invade "our" territory is that their territory is continually shrinking due to human encroachment. We have to learn to share the planet or the whole thing is gonna crash (probably sooner than later).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. You never really need an excuse to get a cat, but mice in the pantry is as good as any.

I live in an old house, and mice can get in through the basement pretty easily. However, when they do they are promptly eaten. I will say, though, that it's a little disturbing to hear crunching sounds and observe a cat eating a mouse on your living room rug (and they never eat quite all of the bits).

Off to the shelter with you so you can give some homeless kitty a home and a job.

[redstatebluegirl]

4. Going this afternoon!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Please report back, preferably with photos!

[Arthur_Frain]

20. Yes, there is going to be one happy rescued kitty today, I hope.

With homework waiting!

Our cats keep the live critters from setting up shop in the house. Unfortunately, they are too fond of bringing them in for the final solution.

[malaise]

47. The ferals ensure that none ever reach inside

Sometimes they show off by killing one and bring it on the patio for rewards just or otherwise

[RhodeIslandOne]

74. Not all cats are mouse hunters

A well fed cat is probably not going to waste their time actually trying to kill the mouse and will let them slip away.

[Codeine]

86. Mine would probably wait in front of his bowl

wondering why the mouse isn’t getting him a scoop of kibble.

[redstatebluegirl]

3. I hate killing them too, but husband has gone out to buy traps.

I am not happy but I lost that argument in a huge hurry when he saw how much food was ruined.

[phylny]

22. Yes, and where you see mouse poop, remember there is mouse pee. n/t

[patricia92243]

6. At least 30 years ago, I had one rat in my cabinets. I have never

gotten over it. To this day, I can hear a sound that old houses make and I startle and just know it a rat. Silly me

[MissMillie]

7. our animals can't be bothered

4 pure-bed American RAT terriers and a cat.

We still get mice.


I told them that they were fired, but they simply licked my face.

[Dennis Donovan]

8. Terriers are also mouse hunters

Recently, I had an unwanted mouse visitor and my Logan (a rescue Schnoodle - half Schnauzer terrier, half poodle) was absolutely VEXED by it! It was running around in my HVAC ducting and Logie would run from register to register, snorting into it and barking.

Meanwhile, my other pup, Jack (Maltipoo - have poodle, half Maltese - no terrier at all) could give 💩💩 about it.

[mr_lebowski]

31. Yup ... they were bred to be vermin hunters back in the day, the urge is strong in many terriers nt

[marble falls]

9. A great reason. Its easier if the dog already has been around a cat. Here's a heart for going ...

to the pound. And an extra one in just in case you choose to get one three years old or older.

[redstatebluegirl]

11. Thanks, our other cat was here when we bought our house.

The neighbors said the previous renters left it. His fat self was just sitting on the porch. In he came, and was a part of our family for 15 years. He was the best mouser I have ever had. The neighbors were fighting mice and we didn't have a one. He would catch it, and take it to the back door and wait for us. We would open the door and he would take it outside and finish it. BC was a great cat.

[marble falls]

12. There's another good cat in your future. The hearts are for going to the pound and getting ...

that new good cat.

[Sneederbunk]

10. So you hate meeces to pieces?

[redstatebluegirl]

13. You betcha! Hate hate hate them.

Love animals in general, just not mice!

[OnDoutside]

14. You'd be surprised how they can get in. I had to put traps down last

month and caught 3 of them. I saw a fourth disappear where the baseboard of the fitted kitchen met the tile. It was incredible they way it flattened its body to slip through that gap. I'm thinking of using clear silicone now, to seal off that gap all around the units. Some years ago I saw one slip through a tiny tiny gap where the central heating pipe came out from the skirting board.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. Mice move in before people do.

An opening the size of your pinky is enough for them to squeeze through.

https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/direct.html

https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-health-hub/health-hazards-posed-by-rodents/

[MrsMatt]

18. Last fall we had an infestation

of deer mice.

The live traps worked best, but then I had to drive at least a mile away to release so they wouldn't find their way back.

Called a pest proofing company, they scoured the foundation and sealed up the cracks where they'd been getting in. Best $250 I spent, especially since between the four cats, two dogs and numerous traps, we caught over 30 in two weeks.

[Laffy Kat]

19. Please don't put down poison.

If any other animals eat the mice they will die, too.

[in2herbs]

21. Our mouse, rat, bunny population has been down this year and I was wondering why until I

noticed a cat in the barn and again in the garage. I don't own a cat so I asked the neighbor who told me she had a feral cat she was feeding and it was likely that cat. Well, they're moving so I am starting to feed the feral cat to keep it around. I bought some Friskies canned cat food but it doesn't seem interested. What do you feed a feral cat that you want to keep around? I was thinking the rats wouldn't like cat food with gravy base and thought that if I fed dry food the rats would just take it away and attract more mice and bunnies.

[Hekate]

23. You could try feeding it on the porch, & take in the dish at sunset. But he prob prefers rats!

Best of luck.

[in2herbs]

24. I hope the cat does prefer rats cuz I was thinking that I would only feed it until I was sure it was

sticking around.

[mr_lebowski]

32. Could you ask the neighbor what they give him/her? (nt)

[Kali]

34. feed the cat on a small table or stool

that rodents can't climb

birds may find the food eventually but hopefully kitty will be eating by then and you can time feedings to night or whatever so they don't steal it all

[MurrayDelph]

25. Over the years rodents have cost us

two whole-house air conditioners, two dishwashers, the subfloor under the diswashers, and a Prius.

20+ years ago, I had a rodent problem in my condo (and travelled for business too much to have pets), so I used various traps. A friend once asked a question that was a setup for a joke I'd heard on TV:

Friend: Don't you want to catch them and set them free (in the woods)?
Me: No. I want to catch them and set them dead.

[NNadir]

26. The mice we had last winter regarded my cat as their pet, I think.

They certainly had a wild time, those mice.

The cat did kill one mouse, but the other 50 or so were not impressed by it at all.

This year we put mouse traps in the attic. They did a lot of damage last year.

[redstatebluegirl]

39. Good grief, I hope we don't have that many around here!!!!

[NNadir]

42. I may be exaggerating on the number based on the damage they did.

There had to be a lot of them, but we don't have an actual count.

We worried about the cat getting hurt by a mouse trap last year. We limited traps and poisoned bait to the attic and made sure we kept her out.

Although we worried that she might try to eat a poisoned mouse, that hasn't happened. We have zero mouse evidence this year in terms of damage other than the poisoned bait that was eaten.

She's just not a world class mouser, our cat, unless it's a toy mouse filled with catnip.

I used to have one of those humane capture the mice alive traps, but it seems like I was driving a mouse every few days to drop off in the local woods.

Now I think those mice just gotten eaten by the local owls anyway, so I've eliminated my scruples.

[samnsara]

27. i just name mine....living in the forest Im never going to be mouse free

..and my dogs think cats are doGs tennis balls..However the rat terrier caught one and tried to eat it on the sofa

[Hekate]

28. We had an invasion -- actually a lot of people did, because there was a population explosion...

...after drought-busting rains, and at the end of the season the field mice got really hungry and looked to humans. They got in my dish-towel drawer, and ewwww it smelled. In my food cupboards, they chewed open every cardboard and cellophane package and spoiled the contents.

You can block holes with plastic bags and steel wool. Plastic bags work well on the wall around a pipe because you just keep wrapping and stuffing. Steel wool kills them when they chew and swallow it. These methods are unsightly, of course, and best done inside a cupboard.

My cat was a mighty hunter (who died of extreme old age years ago) but he finished the war on the mice inside the house. The food cupboard was below the counter top, and once I'd finished throwing out spoiled food and cleansing the cupboard, I allowed Othello to walk through. I reasoned he would leave the scent of his fur, perhaps, and that everything in there was well-packaged (often inside Tupperware) and wouldn't become unsanitary.

As for rats, which lived outdoors -- we never saw a live rat while Othello was with us. He was an indoor-outdoor cat, smart and agile, and managed to avoid the usual predators. We came home one night in the fog and saw our magnificent golden-eyed black cat sitting on the very edge of the roof, surveying his kingdom.

PS: I miss him, as you can tell, but when I went to the animal shelter they wanted to make me sign a form that I would never allow my adoptee outdoors. That's not only an unnatural way for a cat to live, in my opinion, but counterproductive as all get out if what you want is both a pet and a mouser. We moved into the foothills a couple of years ago, where coyotes are very evident, so I will never have another cat.

[redstatebluegirl]

29. The cat we had would go outdoors occasionally, he had his little trek around the neighborhood.

I think that is what he did before he adopted us. The neighbors called him the neighborhood cat, he was pretty fat, I think he got fed by more than just us. Once he got older, he stayed inside most of the time. He still liked going into the fenced backyard from time to time.

I was raised on a farm, so I know about steel wool and such. I just hate the thought of them in my pantry with the food. I threw out most of it this morning.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

64. Omg my cat is named Othello!

First time I ever heard of somebody else naming their cat Othello!!

[csziggy]

67. Here there is a rescue group that specializes in barn and outdoor cats

They know there are some cats that will never adapt to living inside so they work with people that need barn cats or ones to live in yards and such.

You might see if there is someplace like that near you.

The last kitty that I had never would adapt to living only inside but when we finish out addition and redoing our screened porch, we're going to look for a couple of cats that get along and that won't mind being mostly inside with access to that porch.

[Hekate]

69. Cool!

[mr_lebowski]

33. I think I can safely say we're all looking forward to NEW KITTEH PICS :)

[redstatebluegirl]

37. I will do my best I think we will get an older kitty that might not find a home.

I love tuxedo cats if we can find one.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

65. My kitty is a cape and mask kitty

Lil bit of extra white fur in his black fur,so he's not quite a tux. His name is Othello.

[redstatebluegirl]

73. We have a new mouser at our houser.

We adopted a tuxedo kitty from the shelter. They think he is around 6 years old. We named him Harry Truman. After all my years on DU, I was lurking long before I joined, I have never been able to figure out how to put a picture on here. I'm a little tech challenged i'm afraid. He is a very sweet kitty, a little plump for being a shelter cat, but they told us he ate very well.

The dogs freaked out at first, but he kind of stood his ground and the backed off right away. He used his litter box like a champ. We will see if this takes care of our mouse issue.

Headed off to work! Thanks everyone!

[I_UndergroundPanther]

77. Yaaaaay for new tuxy kitty Truman!!!

Thanks for getting your new cat at the shelter.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

78. Post your picture like this:

Go to an image hosting site like https://postimages.org/ Set up an account (it's free), then upload your photo, copy it by clicking the direct link icon, and paste the link into your DU post. Then we'll all get to see your new kitty.

[Mersky]

36. Here's a baiting method that works (warning - is mildly graphic)

Haven’t had to do this myself, but a relative who lives in 100+ year old farmhouse is quite skilled at setting mouse traps - the standard snapping ones. The key is the bait: tough, dried out salt pork (one small block lasts for ages/numerous traps). Tie it on really, really tight — I think she uses plain, waxed dental floss.

Mice wind up needing to tug at the bait and you’re more likely to get their neck than tail, etc. Is more humane by her estimation, doesn’t have to dispatch live ones, and won’t use poison. Barn cats are her buddies as well.

I like critters, have had a super pet rat, and think mice are adorable (if I habitually found them in my pantry, I’d have to take measures and loathe doing so).

Just figured I’d share what works for someone I know.

Eta: Seal up cracks with expanding foam, balled up foil, caulk, etc. I’m sure there’s tons of YouTubes on the topic of keeping out mice.

Oh, and I am all for the new kit cat!

[redstatebluegirl]

38. Thanks!

[Mersky]

41. Yw

Best of luck with the mice.

Am always excited for anyone getting a new cat!

[Kali]

58. old sticky peanut butter and a chocolate chip

same principle - have to tug on the chocolate

[Mersky]

59. If I were a mouse,

I’d want chocolate more than stinky old pork.

I’ll ask her if she’s ever tried this chocolate chip added to peanut butter method.

[Kali]

63. bacon works too

but I never want to share that!

[Vinca]

46. Our mouse problem has just about disappeared since I've been encouraging a possum

to live around the house. We live in a rural area, but I'd never even seen one until a couple of years ago. Then, last winter, I spotted one cleaning up seeds under the bird feeder. After reading about them it seems they control both mice and ticks. Anyhow, I took to feeding that possum in the dead of winter and I guess it paid off because the tick population seemed to be diminished significantly and, with the help of the 2 indoor cats, the mouse encounters are almost unheard of. So get yourself a possum! LOL. FYI, the possum is dining on leftover cat food and supper scraps again this winter and has taken up residence under one of the porches. His name is Ollie.

[MoonRiver]

55. Possums rock! I've heard they kill the ticks and fleas, but didn't know about mice.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

66. They kill fleas? Wow

[TEB]

52. If we lived close

I could let you have your pick of barn kittens

[redstatebluegirl]

79. Thank you!

We have a new kitty from the shelter. He is around 6 years old. A tuxedo kitty we named Harry Truman!

[TEB]

80. Cool on Harry

Our problem is that over the years people abandoned cats at our place. And over years I have taken them to be spayed or neutered. Last few years it has stopped since we installed camera and reported a woman dropping off her cats pregnant and a guy abandoned a pup that didn’t survive. We reported him as well.

[redstatebluegirl]

90. That used to happen on the farm when I was a girl.

Mom and Dad would take care of them. We bought huge bags of cat and dog food at the feed store. Mom found homes for a lot of them others became our pets.

[BusyBeingBest]

53. We get them in our garage and in our camper--our two kitties keep them

out of the inside of the house. We set up a 5 gallon bucket with a ramp and a central spinning cylinder (oatmeal container on a dowel) smeared with peanut butter. They jump on the cylinder and it turns and drops them into the bucket--like falling off a rolling log. Then we drive them a few miles down a country road, I don't have the heart to kill them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

60. I vote for getting another cat.

Even one that doesn't really hunt will discourage mice from hanging around.

Some years back we had a cat who was a good mouser. Then she went on to that great litterbox in the sky, and the local mice decided they could move back into the house. For a while we set traps. Still had mice. We got another cat. The mice moved out.

[Leith]

61. An open door is not the only way they can get in

Once I moved into an apartment and discovered that a mouse already lived there. We did not leave a door open - it was early summer in the Mojave Desert and the AC was on. Leaving a door open for just a little while would jack the electric bill up $50.

Management checked around and found a hole chewed in the wall next to a vent. They fixed it. No more mice got in (after I got rid of the one already there - don't ask).

[GusBob]

75. Sorry to say this

There is rarely just one

[redstatebluegirl]

76. I know. we got a new kitty, we will see if he is a mouser.

[EndlessWire]

81. Good!

That's probably the only effective way to rid yourself of them. I have LOTS of experience with mice. They are smart and learn to avoid most if not all other ways. They seem to hold classes for each other on how to avoid traps, glue, poison bait, etc. The only humane way is to let a cat kill them, and then dispose of whatever is left.

Cats usually eat the head first, and leave the back end as a present for you. An efficient cat will bring you your share and leave it in the same spot. Just say thank you and put it in the trash.

The second most effective way is to poison them with those little green cubes. That's awful, but it is what it is. Live catch and snap kill devices don't work. I had large Norway rats caught by their tails in a rat trap and die, but that is awful.

There is no good reason at all to allow a mouse and his friends to destroy your house and ruin your food supply. They chew wires in your house and can cause a fire hazard. That alone is reason enough to kill them.

Those mice that work hard for a living and stay out of your space, your house, can be left alone. But, when they try to move in with you, that's a boundary that you should not feel bad about enforcing. You didn't make the world what it is. Mice don't belong in your house, and your new cat will help you with that.

By the way, mice cannot swim. You might consider a moat as back up to your cat...

[Norbert]

82. Forget Cheese but hide the peanuts

Mice love peanuts and peanut butter.

[Nature Man]

88. Prayer of St. Francis for pets

but it applies to ALL animals:

Good St. Francis, you loved all of God's creatures. To you they were your brothers and sisters. Help us to follow your example of treating every living thing with kindness. St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals, watch over my pet and keep my companion safe and healthy. Amen.