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C Moon

(12,188 posts)
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 01:55 AM Oct 2016

Humanely caught a mouse—finally!

Over 2 months ago, I discovered we had a mouse in our house. It's actually a townhouse.
I set up a humane mouse trap probably 8 weeks ago, but he/she would not go for the peanut butter.
I would see it scurry across the room from time to time (after 8pm, when it was dark).
My German Shepherd /Border Collie mix would see it, and be obsessed with where ever it hid.
Over the weeks, I had setup 5 humane traps with different types of bait: peanut butter, oatmeal, cereal, nuts...nothing was working.
Then tonight, we had some rain. I heard a sound that I thought was dripping rain. My dog walked over to the corner and was interested in one of the traps.
Voila! The trap door was closed. It was the original humane mouse trap I had placed (I actually had a different one on order, due to arrive soon).
I walked out in the rain about a mile, and let him or her go in a meadow. I just hope it was far enough away. I hear they can find their way back within a mile.

Anyways, I just wanted to share a small success in my life tonight.
Never give up.

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Humanely caught a mouse—finally! (Original Post) C Moon Oct 2016 OP
.. Liberal_in_LA Oct 2016 #3
Get a small box of cat kibble and stick that into the peanut butter Warpy Oct 2016 #4
Congratulations! ailsagirl Oct 2016 #5
I Have Relocated About 150 Mice. After I Lost My Cats In 2000 I Have Had Mice. TheMastersNemesis Oct 2016 #6
Yeah, they are coming in through the dog door here, as well. C Moon Oct 2016 #21
Good for you & congratulations! I had to do that a few years back, Raine Oct 2016 #7
Awesome! colorado_ufo Oct 2016 #8
Good grief! I read your title as MOOSE! montana_hazeleyes Oct 2016 #9
I initially read it exactly like that! Fla Dem Oct 2016 #17
I laughed out loud when I read your comment! C Moon Oct 2016 #22
Call him next time malaise Oct 2016 #11
I have 3 little kitchen mice. leftyladyfrommo Oct 2016 #12
Just a thought. roamer65 Oct 2016 #13
I might do that. leftyladyfrommo Oct 2016 #15
Thank you for doing that. MineralMan Oct 2016 #14
When I released the mouse, my wife gave me a piece of bread to give to it. C Moon Oct 2016 #24
No doubt. Frightened little critter. MineralMan Oct 2016 #25
I have never seen a mouse in our house...of course we have always had cats snooper2 Oct 2016 #16
I have one that I rescued from my cat a year ago. It lives under my dresser. femmedem Oct 2016 #27
I read it as "actually a townmouse" panader0 Oct 2016 #18
There's NEVER just one mouse. NEVER. MineralMan Oct 2016 #26
Not to be debbie downer jcgoldie Oct 2016 #19
Or you could get one of these: catnhatnh Oct 2016 #20
Walked about a mile? The mouse probably got home before you did. FSogol Oct 2016 #29
Dec 1969 #
Dec 1969 #

Warpy

(110,909 posts)
4. Get a small box of cat kibble and stick that into the peanut butter
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:10 AM
Oct 2016

Mice find that combination irresistible.

I don't particularly want to deal with live mice, they carry hantavirus here in NM, so I use electronic traps. I've heard one cycle and it was so quick the mouse didn't even get a squeak out. Those are much better than snap traps or glue traps.

ailsagirl

(22,837 posts)
5. Congratulations!
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:36 AM
Oct 2016

I know exactly how you feel-- I would never use a regular mouse trap-- ugh

Humanely, for me, is the only way to go

 

TheMastersNemesis

(10,602 posts)
6. I Have Relocated About 150 Mice. After I Lost My Cats In 2000 I Have Had Mice.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 03:13 AM
Oct 2016

Even though I do not keep count I have probably caught and relocated 150 mice since 2000. I have a number of live catch traps and can easily relocate mice to near by open space where we have hawks, owls and other predators.

Since I lost my cats to old age and disease 116 years ago have had a problem of mice somehow getting into the house. We had a dog for 13 years and they would come in through the dog door. After I lost my dog we have had a lot fewer. I also found a hole they were coming through that was very obscured.

My personal policy has been to relocate any creature I do not want around Black widows spiders, stinging insects, and a few other pests are an exception.

BTW we live in a suburb where there is nearby open space and wild life corridors. We have rabbits, raccoon (who eats ALL my grapes, blue heron, prairie dogs, coyotes, geese, red tail hawks, Harris hawks, horned owls,et al in the area depending on the season. Our golf course has white pelican, white snowy egrets, cormorants, king fishers, ducks, heron, minter et al. For a suburb with major highways nearby we have a virtual soon.

C Moon

(12,188 posts)
21. Yeah, they are coming in through the dog door here, as well.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:31 PM
Oct 2016

BTW: I saw another one the same night I posted this (about 2 hours afterward). Unless it found it's way back already.
I'm the same way as you with black widows and wasps, too.

Raine

(30,540 posts)
7. Good for you & congratulations! I had to do that a few years back,
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 03:50 AM
Oct 2016

I just couldn't use a trap that would kill them. It takes time & patience but I couldn't do it any other way.

colorado_ufo

(5,717 posts)
8. Awesome!
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 04:27 AM
Oct 2016

I recommend the Ketch-All. Living in the country is great, but mice can be an issue, especially in the fall. This trap is amazing, works for both field and house mice, and doesn't need bait. You can purchase on Amazon.

Fla Dem

(23,351 posts)
17. I initially read it exactly like that!
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 09:44 AM
Oct 2016

I hadn't finished my 1st cup of coffee, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

leftyladyfrommo

(18,816 posts)
12. I have 3 little kitchen mice.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 08:17 AM
Oct 2016

They are just tiny. I put a cookie out for them every day and they come in the afternoon. I have them trained to get their cookies and then leave again. They don't bother anything. And I like to watch them play.

I figure my house is big enough for all of us.

roamer65

(36,739 posts)
13. Just a thought.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 08:55 AM
Oct 2016

You should see if u can get one of those wheels they can run in, but not in a cage of course. Set up a small mouse amusement park!

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
14. Thank you for doing that.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 09:14 AM
Oct 2016

I've had mice in every house I've lived in. It's fun to see them scurry around, usually along the baseboards. I've been guilty of feeding them, too.

C Moon

(12,188 posts)
24. When I released the mouse, my wife gave me a piece of bread to give to it.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:33 PM
Oct 2016

Of course, when you open the door to the trap, they jump about 20 feet, so the chance of giving them a piece of bread was useless.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
25. No doubt. Frightened little critter.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:37 PM
Oct 2016

Mice are funny. I did catch one in a live trap once and transferred it into a spare hamster cage I had. In less than a week, it had adapted to its new environment and was coming up to me for treats, running in the hamster wheel and seemed perfectly happy. Not long after that, it got used to being handled and had no desire to abandon that cozy little home.

They're smarter than people think, and are already half domesticated, just from living with people.

femmedem

(8,188 posts)
27. I have one that I rescued from my cat a year ago. It lives under my dresser.
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 02:48 PM
Oct 2016

My cat was about to catch it outside, and it was in shock so I just scooped it up. I figured I would keep it warm overnight and then let it go again.

But he or she escaped from my container. I used to see it from time to time, but now I only know it is there because it always eats the food I give it each night. Saltines, cooked millet, commercial mouse food, and a bottle cap full of water. I feel badly for it because mice are social and I think this one is alone, but at least it's alive and well fed.

panader0

(25,816 posts)
18. I read it as "actually a townmouse"
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 09:50 AM
Oct 2016

Try to figure out where it got in and fix it, or you'll have more.

jcgoldie

(11,584 posts)
19. Not to be debbie downer
Mon Oct 24, 2016, 09:59 AM
Oct 2016

Your story shows you are a very humane thoughtful person. But I'm guessing if there was one mouse there for 8 weeks... there's more.

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