Just found a mouse in my house

[Bizarro Amy]

I've noticed that one of my cats has been spending a lot of time sitting in the kitchen lately. Last night, I saw him sniffing at the gap under the oven. Now I know why - I heard noises in the kitchen this morning and found Wally with something moving in his mouth. It took a minute to comprehend what I was seeing, and then the mouse got away and ran back under the oven. I'm not afraid of mice, but I don't want them getting into our food, toys, or (oh god) our comics. So now I have to go out and get a trap. Fun fun fun.

[Adam West]

I had a mouse problem this past winter. They don't bother me and there are other mousetraps besides the old school wooden type.

They sell plastic ones with trap doors if you don't want to kill it. The door only moves in one direction so once they're caught, you can take him/her to a nearby wooded area and let loose.

I had quite a few of them and wasn't in the mood to be kind. I bought a reusable one that literally works like an electric chair. The mouse walks in and around a corner and then gets zapped by a jolt of electricity. Just open the lid, the electricity turns off, dispose and reload. Sounds kind of gross but for me it was better than dealing with mouse parts all over the place when the spring slams down on them.

[Bizarro Amy]

I definitely don't want the spring trap, and the sticky ones are gross too. We used those at a daycare where I used to work, and when the custodian couldn't reach them, or forgot about them, they just sat with a decomposing mouse on them. I'm going to try and find one of the plastic humane ones - I was reading about them online. I also found out that there are ways to make them with soda bottles. That idea would be tempting if I wasn't in a hurry to get rid of the little critter or more sure of how well they worked.

[AJ Collector]

Now that your cat has been introduced to the "taste of mouse", I think he will get him before the trap....

Happy Hunting Wally!!!

[palitoy]

You can get those traps that catch the guy alive and unharmed. Then just let him go outside.

I used to use those, spray painting the end of their tales as they jumped out. No matter how far I drove them, they were back.

[hobub]

I used to use those, spray painting the end of their tales as they jumped out. No matter how far I drove them, they were back.

Now that is funny! LOL

[megojim]

sounds like you already have a pretty good trap . . . . let the circle of life proceed . . . Go Wally!

[palitoy]

I was kind of copasetic about it until I found feces in the baby's crib, we didn't have the baby yet but the party ended and we've been rodent free for eight years.

[HardyGirl]

In my old apartment, I used D-con mouse kill. They eat it and crawl off somewhere and die. (and it wasn't in my apt.) They never came back.

[Bizarro Amy]

I got a no-kill trap and set it with peanut butter as bait. I was hoping I'd get home and Wally would be sitting over its carcass, looking triumphant. But no, he left his post and was napping on my desk chair when I walked in. Unless he got it and left it somewhere to surprise me.
I wouldn't care about the mouse, but there are too many things here that I don't want chewed. In the daycare where I used to work, one found its way into our food cabinet - little holes chewed into everything, and poop everywhere. I had to help clean it out. Don't really want to go through that in my home.

[generic]

Good luck catching the critter (or critters)!

[mitchedwards]

Let Wally do the job, he's well qualified for it.

[toys2cool]

i'm terrified of mice

[Brazoo]

I live in an apartment over a store in Downtown Toronto on a block where all the buildings connect, AND there's a restaurant two doors down - I've dealt with mice many times now.

Everyone (including myself) starts with those live traps. They seem humane and less messy - but they were also worthless. I agree that the sticky traps are terrible. You've got to deal with a complete mess, and at 5 in the morning they can make a lot of noise when they get trapped.

The only thing that got rid of ours was a heavy regiment of old fashion wood snap traps. Bait them with peanut butter. if you see a mouse hole basically land mine it with 5 or 6.

I'd advise you to use poison (the pellet kind, not the grainy kind because they get that one everywhere when they eat it) but you probably can't use poison because you have pets.

KILL KILL KILL - it's the only way!

This ain't no peace keeping mission - This is a WAR!!!!

[jimsmegos]

I have to agree with the "Kill it!" argument. If the cat can't get it then do yourself a favor. Once it starts it won't stop.

Termination with extreme prejudice!