My cat finally caught a mouse!!!!

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.

Congratulations on having such a Mighty Hunter to look after you.

Flippy in Melbourne, Australia.
My Cats: http://www.flippyscatpage.com


"Doe John" wrote in message
...
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


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.593 / Virus Database: 376 - Release Date: 20/02/2004

Congratulations on having such a Mighty Hunter to look after you.

Flippy in Melbourne, Australia.
My Cats: http://www.flippyscatpage.com


"Doe John" wrote in message
...
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


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.593 / Virus Database: 376 - Release Date: 20/02/2004

"Doe John" wrote in message
...

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.

Yes, they can do that. Home improvement stores (such as Lowe's) often carry
a flexible rubber "sweep" to attach to the bottom of doors. They were
intended to keep out water but should also work for little critters.

MaryL

"Doe John" wrote in message
...

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.

Yes, they can do that. Home improvement stores (such as Lowe's) often carry
a flexible rubber "sweep" to attach to the bottom of doors. They were
intended to keep out water but should also work for little critters.

MaryL

Here is something to think about.

My parents had some mouse problems in their home several years ago. The
mice were mostly remaining in the basement but on occasion would make a
foray to the main floor of the house. Mom Hates Mice. Scared *$%&less!

The house is a single story ranch style in a neighborhood with the house
built about 40 years ago. There are trees that have grown up in the last
35 years near the back of the house and they were in contact with the roof,
Just barely.

Dad had to get something from the attic so he opened the hatch that leads
into the attic and a mouse met him eye to eye as he climbed the ladder into
the attic.

Here is what we figured out after a while.

The mice were climbing the tree in the back yard. They went to the roof of
the house and explored until they found a roof vent that someone had passed
a TV antenna cable through. When the cable was passed through the roof vent
the screening in the vent was torn and it left a small gap. The little
tight wire artists were using the TV antenna cable as the way to get to the
floor of the attic. Then they would find the chimmney that came up from the
basement where the furnace was and go down that channel. Once in the
basement it was easy enough to get to anyplace they wanted down there.

One weekend I was there with my cats and as normal they had free run of the
house. Kamikaze was the younger more adventourous of the two and she was
spending a LOT of time in the basement. She was using the basement as her
private hunting preserve. She actually caught one of the little boogers,
and applied the coups de grace. I gave her a reward for doing such a good
job and taking care of business like that. She was part way through her
own plate of Tender Vittles when her head popped up and one could almost see
the gears turning in her head. There might be more!!!!! Zooommmmmmm!!!!!!
She was in the basement the rest of the weekend.

Here is something to think about.

My parents had some mouse problems in their home several years ago. The
mice were mostly remaining in the basement but on occasion would make a
foray to the main floor of the house. Mom Hates Mice. Scared *$%&less!

The house is a single story ranch style in a neighborhood with the house
built about 40 years ago. There are trees that have grown up in the last
35 years near the back of the house and they were in contact with the roof,
Just barely.

Dad had to get something from the attic so he opened the hatch that leads
into the attic and a mouse met him eye to eye as he climbed the ladder into
the attic.

Here is what we figured out after a while.

The mice were climbing the tree in the back yard. They went to the roof of
the house and explored until they found a roof vent that someone had passed
a TV antenna cable through. When the cable was passed through the roof vent
the screening in the vent was torn and it left a small gap. The little
tight wire artists were using the TV antenna cable as the way to get to the
floor of the attic. Then they would find the chimmney that came up from the
basement where the furnace was and go down that channel. Once in the
basement it was easy enough to get to anyplace they wanted down there.

One weekend I was there with my cats and as normal they had free run of the
house. Kamikaze was the younger more adventourous of the two and she was
spending a LOT of time in the basement. She was using the basement as her
private hunting preserve. She actually caught one of the little boogers,
and applied the coups de grace. I gave her a reward for doing such a good
job and taking care of business like that. She was part way through her
own plate of Tender Vittles when her head popped up and one could almost see
the gears turning in her head. There might be more!!!!! Zooommmmmmm!!!!!!
She was in the basement the rest of the weekend.