It's springtime in Seattle, and with the beauty of blooming flowers and trees comes a feeling of dread here at the LemonDrop. You see, our two cats start to find the burgeoning population of birds and rodents and begin to invite friends into the home. And it wouldn't be too much of a problem if they knew how to finish the job, but they're actually pretty clueless hunters. Rather, they're more like collectors who like to play with their finds before getting bored and move onto a nap.
Earlier this week, I noticed that Nip was focused very intently on the washer/dryer in our mud room, which made me very suspicious. I tried rooting out anything with a stick, but nothing came of it. Then yesterday, Parie informed me that she saw something dark move across the kitchen floor -- "it's either a mouse or a big insect." I was hoping it wasn't an insect. I've had experiences dealing with rodents; I didn't want to have to fight off a giant spider.
It turned out it was a mouse (not a rat) and it went underneath the refrigerator. So in addition to dealing with a very collicky baby who didn't give us much sleep (I took one for the team and was up with him from 5am), I now had to root around the kitchen in a haze of sleep deprivation trying to hunt a mouse. What follows is a video diary of my attempts to get it out from under the fridge and out the back door.
I thought I'd trapped it under the fridge, but last night as I was getting some Tum-Ease for Sofian, I saw the little f***er running across the kitchen counter and hiding underneath some drying pots and pans. In the moment that I turned my head to grab a broom, he vanished -- most likely into an opening next to the dishwasher (which I've now barricaded). I'm pretty sure he's still there, but Parie points out that this is one smart mouse. So we're back to a standoff. Not sure how we're going to get him out -- that's the puzzle for today.
2 comments:
Vacuum cleaner?
As the owner of another non-lethal hunter, it's fascinating to watch someone else go through the same steps I did. Rodents don't like to run out in the open. They prefer to dash from one spot to another. If you can provide a series of hiding places, fairly close together along the way you want him to go, he's more likely to follow them out. With you beating the bushes behind him, of course. Books tilted together or stacked with a tunnel underneath work.
How you get him out from under the refrigerator is another question. With any luck, when he starts stirring again, your cat will get interested and point him out to you.
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