My cat finally caught a mouse!!!!

Lately, there were problems with mice getting in through the walls
behind the kitchen counters. I found droppings on the counter, in
drawers and three dead mice in glue traps. I clogged up the gaps
connecting the counter to the wall. Still a big hole inside the conter
where the water pipe connects to the sink. Can't reach it. Glue traps
wre empty for the past week and no droppings on the counter, so I
thought I had plugged up the mice entry point into the house.

Well anyway, last night, after finishing watching basketball, I turned
off the lights and was ready to snooze, and I hear my cat jumping
around and I hear loud pitched squeaking noises. I thought it was
perhaps a bird...they sometimes get in throug the laundry vent that
opens outside.

Well I investigated, and under the tv, I shined a flashlight and see a
small , scared mouse. My cat had lost track of it , and I had to keep
poiting it out. She kept purring and rubbing against my arm and
flashlight. I had to refocus her to the task at hand.She cornered it
in a milkcrate. She pawed and poked at it. I went to the kitchen to
look around her food dish for mice droppings. Two or three days ago,
she was pawing at something around there, and I assumed it was a bug,
but it may have been the mouse. Unfortunately, I saw a couple of mouse
droppings there.

I went back to the cat, which had retrieved the mouse in her mouth and
brought it to me. It was barely alive...probably being scared to
death. I disposed of it in a cigar box, an sprayed lysol on the area
she dropped the mouse upon, and wiped up.


I spent the rest of the night looking for mouse droppings from the
kitchen to the room with the tv. Yuck, I found a dropping under the tv
tray, and more in the kitchen. I will have to spend the entire day
looking for mouse droppings in the family room, and possible living
room and sweep up.

I gave her lots of tuna flavored treat this morning to reward her for
her first kill. A few days ago, I berated her for snoozing on the job
while the mice were partying on the counter top. Well she suprised me
big time.


End of story. Rest is about investigative work. Nothing to do with my
cat.

Now I have to find out how the mouse got in. The kitchen counters
don't snugly/tightly fit against the wall. The mouse possibly went
through the big hole in the wall where the main water pipe goes to the
sink and escaped through the side, which I had not plugged up.I only
plugged up the gaps in the top of the counter. ANother possible entry
point is the hole in the wall where the laundry water pipe enters the
house. I didn't see any mouse droppings in that area, so I think I can
safely eliminate that part.


in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

How about employing a kid? :-)
That area under the sink where the hole is always a bit bigger than the pipe is
a classic mouse entry. I've always heard steel wool will sucessfully stop
them--they won't chew through it. A mouse can squeeze through an unbelievably
tiny area.

Sherry

in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

How about employing a kid? :-)
That area under the sink where the hole is always a bit bigger than the pipe is
a classic mouse entry. I've always heard steel wool will sucessfully stop
them--they won't chew through it. A mouse can squeeze through an unbelievably
tiny area.

Sherry

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks


I've always heard steel wool will sucessfully stop
them--they won't chew through it. A mouse can squeeze through an
unbelievably
tiny area.

Sherry

Yes, steel wool is the best mouse barrier. My family lived in a very old
frame house, and we packed steel wool in every entry we could find (even
"small" cracks provide an entry for mice).

For the current situation: Steel wool could be pushed into the hole if you
get a small stick or dowell to use for leverage. It would be awkward but
should work. Depending on space, the OP might even be able to use one of
those "grabber" devices used to lift items from high shelves (basically a
short pole with "claws" at one end that open and close to grasp items).

MaryL

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks


I've always heard steel wool will sucessfully stop
them--they won't chew through it. A mouse can squeeze through an
unbelievably
tiny area.

Sherry

Yes, steel wool is the best mouse barrier. My family lived in a very old
frame house, and we packed steel wool in every entry we could find (even
"small" cracks provide an entry for mice).

For the current situation: Steel wool could be pushed into the hole if you
get a small stick or dowell to use for leverage. It would be awkward but
should work. Depending on space, the OP might even be able to use one of
those "grabber" devices used to lift items from high shelves (basically a
short pole with "claws" at one end that open and close to grasp items).

MaryL

Woo hoo!

"Doe John" wrote in message
...
Lately, there were problems with mice getting in through the walls
behind the kitchen counters.

(some snippage may have occured)

I gave her lots of tuna flavored treat this morning to reward her for
her first kill. A few days ago, I berated her for snoozing on the job
while the mice were partying on the counter top. Well she suprised me
big time.


End of story. Rest is about investigative work. Nothing to do with my
cat.

Now I have to find out how the mouse got in. The kitchen counters
don't snugly/tightly fit against the wall. The mouse possibly went
through the big hole in the wall where the main water pipe goes to the
sink and escaped through the side, which I had not plugged up.I only
plugged up the gaps in the top of the counter. ANother possible entry
point is the hole in the wall where the laundry water pipe enters the
house. I didn't see any mouse droppings in that area, so I think I can
safely eliminate that part.


in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

We recently moved up to Northern Colorado and live in what is basically a
new construction farm house on 6 acres of land, including a barn. (Barn =
warm happy place for mouse breeding.)

We have lots of mice. My fiance didn't have a cat when we got here, now we
have two. Sweetie was listed at the Humane Society as "feral" which is
about the funniest joke they've ever told. She wouldn't last 2 days in the
wild. And Joe came in literally off the street and he's about as lost a
soul in a cat bag as ever there was one.

So when they first saw a mouse, they knew to pay attention. And they knew
to chase it. And they even knew to catch it. But neither one of them knows
how to kill a mouse; neither one has that instinctive "shake it to break its
neck" thing. So after they caught the mouse, it was all about the playtime.
Not okay. So they catch 'em, we kill em. Okay, the cats catch 'em, my
*honey* kills 'em.

One morning, Honey gone to work and boys at school, I heard this huge loud
thump bump on the stairs. I went to investigate, and there was Sweetie,
watching Joe with a real mouse. Dang. Looking longer, I noticed....it was
dead! Joe Kitty had killed a mouse! WaaaaaaaHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! My Honey has
decided Joe does not get the title of "Mouse Killer" until he's killed
three.

As to keeping them out....
I hear that stuffing brillo pads (wire scrubby things) in the holes will
stop them as they hate the feel of the stuff.

We had the entire house re-trimmed, re-sealed, and painted, hoping to keep
out unwanted crawlies, and it hasn't help with the mouse issue. And I
haven't figured out AT ALL how they are getting in.

TBird ----- good luck!

Woo hoo!

"Doe John" wrote in message
...
Lately, there were problems with mice getting in through the walls
behind the kitchen counters.

(some snippage may have occured)

I gave her lots of tuna flavored treat this morning to reward her for
her first kill. A few days ago, I berated her for snoozing on the job
while the mice were partying on the counter top. Well she suprised me
big time.


End of story. Rest is about investigative work. Nothing to do with my
cat.

Now I have to find out how the mouse got in. The kitchen counters
don't snugly/tightly fit against the wall. The mouse possibly went
through the big hole in the wall where the main water pipe goes to the
sink and escaped through the side, which I had not plugged up.I only
plugged up the gaps in the top of the counter. ANother possible entry
point is the hole in the wall where the laundry water pipe enters the
house. I didn't see any mouse droppings in that area, so I think I can
safely eliminate that part.


in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

We recently moved up to Northern Colorado and live in what is basically a
new construction farm house on 6 acres of land, including a barn. (Barn =
warm happy place for mouse breeding.)

We have lots of mice. My fiance didn't have a cat when we got here, now we
have two. Sweetie was listed at the Humane Society as "feral" which is
about the funniest joke they've ever told. She wouldn't last 2 days in the
wild. And Joe came in literally off the street and he's about as lost a
soul in a cat bag as ever there was one.

So when they first saw a mouse, they knew to pay attention. And they knew
to chase it. And they even knew to catch it. But neither one of them knows
how to kill a mouse; neither one has that instinctive "shake it to break its
neck" thing. So after they caught the mouse, it was all about the playtime.
Not okay. So they catch 'em, we kill em. Okay, the cats catch 'em, my
*honey* kills 'em.

One morning, Honey gone to work and boys at school, I heard this huge loud
thump bump on the stairs. I went to investigate, and there was Sweetie,
watching Joe with a real mouse. Dang. Looking longer, I noticed....it was
dead! Joe Kitty had killed a mouse! WaaaaaaaHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! My Honey has
decided Joe does not get the title of "Mouse Killer" until he's killed
three.

As to keeping them out....
I hear that stuffing brillo pads (wire scrubby things) in the holes will
stop them as they hate the feel of the stuff.

We had the entire house re-trimmed, re-sealed, and painted, hoping to keep
out unwanted crawlies, and it hasn't help with the mouse issue. And I
haven't figured out AT ALL how they are getting in.

TBird ----- good luck!

I hear that stuffing brillo pads (wire scrubby things) in the holes will
stop them as they hate the feel of the stuff.



Thanks for the great adivce on steel wool and wiry brillo pads. I'll
also have to get one of those grabber things. Not sure if attaching
the wool onto a golf club would work.

I wonder if the mouse( very small, the size of a medium shrimp)
squeezed itself under the basement door? once in a while i will see
dead mice in the basement, who probably died from exposure and /or
starvation.

I hear that stuffing brillo pads (wire scrubby things) in the holes will
stop them as they hate the feel of the stuff.



Thanks for the great adivce on steel wool and wiry brillo pads. I'll
also have to get one of those grabber things. Not sure if attaching
the wool onto a golf club would work.

I wonder if the mouse( very small, the size of a medium shrimp)
squeezed itself under the basement door? once in a while i will see
dead mice in the basement, who probably died from exposure and /or
starvation.

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 11:35:36 GMT, Doe John wrote:

Lately, there were problems with mice getting in through the walls
behind the kitchen counters. I found droppings on the counter, in
drawers and three dead mice in glue traps. I clogged up the gaps
connecting the counter to the wall. Still a big hole inside the conter
where the water pipe connects to the sink. Can't reach it. Glue traps
wre empty for the past week and no droppings on the counter, so I
thought I had plugged up the mice entry point into the house.

Well anyway, last night, after finishing watching basketball, I turned
off the lights and was ready to snooze, and I hear my cat jumping
around and I hear loud pitched squeaking noises. I thought it was
perhaps a bird...they sometimes get in throug the laundry vent that
opens outside.

Well I investigated, and under the tv, I shined a flashlight and see a
small , scared mouse. My cat had lost track of it , and I had to keep
poiting it out. She kept purring and rubbing against my arm and
flashlight. I had to refocus her to the task at hand.She cornered it
in a milkcrate. She pawed and poked at it. I went to the kitchen to
look around her food dish for mice droppings. Two or three days ago,
she was pawing at something around there, and I assumed it was a bug,
but it may have been the mouse. Unfortunately, I saw a couple of mouse
droppings there.

I went back to the cat, which had retrieved the mouse in her mouth and
brought it to me. It was barely alive...probably being scared to
death. I disposed of it in a cigar box, an sprayed lysol on the area
she dropped the mouse upon, and wiped up.


I spent the rest of the night looking for mouse droppings from the
kitchen to the room with the tv. Yuck, I found a dropping under the tv
tray, and more in the kitchen. I will have to spend the entire day
looking for mouse droppings in the family room, and possible living
room and sweep up.

I gave her lots of tuna flavored treat this morning to reward her for
her first kill. A few days ago, I berated her for snoozing on the job
while the mice were partying on the counter top. Well she suprised me
big time.


End of story. Rest is about investigative work. Nothing to do with my
cat.

Now I have to find out how the mouse got in. The kitchen counters
don't snugly/tightly fit against the wall. The mouse possibly went
through the big hole in the wall where the main water pipe goes to the
sink and escaped through the side, which I had not plugged up.I only
plugged up the gaps in the top of the counter. ANother possible entry
point is the hole in the wall where the laundry water pipe enters the
house. I didn't see any mouse droppings in that area, so I think I can
safely eliminate that part.


in order to get to the hole in the wall where the main kitchen water
pipe comes into the kitchen , i would have to employ a midget. Not
possible to reach it with my arms. Are there any products out there
where I can spray or apply, which will harden and fill up a large gap
in the wall? Has to be from long distance

Thanks

If you can manage to stuff steel wool in those small cracks, it will
help, Mice don't want to gnaw through steel wool. Put it around all
pipes and any small opening, either inside or outside.