The Mouse that Was…

We’ve had a mouse in the house for quite some time now. It doesn’t really bother me to be honest. It’s basically like a pet. When I get home from work I say “hi house...hi mouse”. And he’s soooooooooo cute. About a month ago, I was giving Rich a haircut, and I looked over and the mouse was perched on top of my garbage pail just staring at us. Maybe he needed a trim – not sure – but it was funny that he was upstairs in my dressing room. Sometimes I picture him sprawled out on our bed when we’re at work with the remote watching the tube….funny little mouse.

Granted, it means more cleaning and disinfecting on our part, but I feel better doing that than trying to kill it. I mean...it’s just trying to survive too right? We’ve tried the live/humane traps but they just don’t work., so I kind of just figured we’d leave it alone, and now that the weather is warmer, it’ll probably make its way back outside anyway. (and yes…I know there’s likely more than just ONE in the house…but I only ever see one – so I’m going with that).

However, I think things have to change, because every so often now, when Rich goes down to get some water, or to turn off the kitchen light (that I always seem to leave on) – there is a blood-curdling scream that seems to last about a whole minute long, to which I run downstairs because I think someone has come into the house and is attacking the love of my life with an axe or something….but no….it’s just the mouse…scurrying across the counter…running for cover because he too has been scared to death by the blood-curdling scream. So – Rich was going to try to find a better trap (humane one) in the States while he’s there. (he’s very patient with me…can you tell?)

But … no need! I solved the problem. Not intentionally, but I did. After washing up a few dishes the other night, I went upstairs to watch tv and had forgotten to empty the dishwater out of the sink. When I came down a couple hours later, I gasped as I saw something dark – a kind of shadow – in the dishwater, and it was moving!! It was my mousey!! he’d fallen in and was swimming for his life, and couldn’t get out cause the water was too deep and the sides of the sink too slippery…I felt so bad for it, but wasn’t about to stick my hand in there to grab him…so I grabbed a soup ladle and went in and scooped him up and kind of ‘tossed’ him over the other sink. The poor thing. He was soaked and shivering and in shock and wasn’t moving….he was just sitting there shaking so hard. I felt awful. Part of me wanted to wrap him up in a towel to help him get warm, but … I’m not actually a crazy person…so I let him calm down a bit…and he started to move. He turned around and looked at me and I swear…he kind of winked! Like to say “thanks man”. Anyway – I thought – here’s my chance to get him out of the house – the nice humane way – so he can be one with nature and I won’t have to hear Rich scream anymore and we can relax a bit with the “over-cleaning” we were having to do. So – I did just that. I scooted him into a tupperware dish and took him outside by the side of our house. And he looked back at me once – then kind of hopped away. I know mice don’t hop – but this one sort of did.

Now, I know there’s a chance he’s already made his way back in our house, cause really, I should have taken him down the street a bit or something – but I don’t think so. I think we had our time together, and now he’s moved on. Plus, having a near-death experience is sure to taint his wanting to return. But I still think about him and I’m still happy I was able to save his life.

So – to the mouse that was…Be strong little buddy. It was nice while it lasted. I’ll miss ya. luv…..mommy.