There's a mouse in the house

MrA

MrA

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Feb 8, 2012
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Or rather there seems to be many!

We have no idea where they are coming from but numbers seem to be increasing. I keep finding them huddled on the stairs, some are dying, some fine. Our cat seems oblivious until this morning when all I found on the stairs was a leg!

I've then moved the huge crystal display case because she was fussing around that and found a baby mouse tucked behind it, see picture! I don't like killing them so can set the humane traps but I don't know where they are coming from!

We never find droppings or any other signs. If anyone has dealt with anything like this before and has advice I'd be really grateful!

Picture of the little cutie from this morning at half 5 haha Screenshot_2019-08-28-06-30-36.png
 
Recently I have had a few, it's my ruddy cat bringing them in for me :rolleyes: Last week I heard her making the noise that indicates she has a prize for me, drags myself out of bed at midnight to find her on the stairs watching the poor little mouse, it takes off downstairs and dives behind furniture, I opened the front door and started moving everything and eventually managed to shoo it out the door :) there have been a few less lucky :(
 
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I had humane traps at my last house. They finally settled on the blackcurrant jam and one morning (after a night hearing the little thing rattling about inside it) I woke to find a very sorry looking little mouse covered in jam. I took it and carefully let it go in the neighbours field (the one I didn't like lol).
I think you have to fill the traps with something pretty strong smelling / tasting. I tried lots of things (including cheese lol)
 
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Forgot - I had just the one here last winter. It was inside the pipe boxing in the bathroom. Mr T and I took the wood off and found the start of a little shredded nest. I had to silicone all the gaps up. So it couldn't return. Not sure where it went - but we don't have a house kitty just the ferals. So the barns are clear - but the house can sometimes get the odd one. They are very good at squeezing into the smallest gaps you'd imagine. I was amazed!
 
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Trewsers said:
we don't have a house kitty just the ferals. So the barns are clear - but the house can sometimes get the odd one.
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I bet that's because they are hiding from the outside cats :p

I was told many moons ago that using humane traps is pointless if you release them less than 2 miles away as they just return if they were living there, not sure how true that is.
 
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Jessey said:
I bet that's because they are hiding from the outside cats :p

I was told many moons ago that using humane traps is pointless if you release them less than 2 miles away as they just return if they were living there, not sure how true that is.
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Lol yes it's probably very true! At the time I just hoped they'd go into next doors house.....hahahhaaa.
And yeah, you're right I bet the mice are all thinking the house is the safest place lol lol
 
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We had this problem at our previous home. The cat brought in mice, let them go and they found places to live. One made a nest inside the base of the sofa. We found soap was the best bait in a humane trap, but our visitors preferred the waste bin which we kept out of the dogs’ way in a cupboard. Several used to leap out first thing in the morning. Our answer was to empty all the rubbish out at night. It was a tall bin and the mice could drop in but not jump out without things to climb up. We then emptied the mice outside in the morning. Several nights of this rid the house of the unwanted residents. The most we “caught” in a single night was 8.
We had mice at the barn and in the house walls when we moved here, but the new cats have sorted that for us, and it seems to be under control. The cats still catch a mouse occasionally, but kill it and leave it for the chickens - which seems to be a highly prized delicacy for them.
 
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Well cookie the cat is obviously sick of the taste of mice, she was sitting next to a baby one today as it went about it's business. I walked up to her and she meowed and walked off! So that's 2 days in a row I've found a youngster in the house. I've got a month to try and sort this before my landlady gets back so hopefully can work something out!
 
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We've had mice before and still have them in our loft. They are a protected species (yellow necked wood mice) so we may not use fatal methods on them - nor would we want to, they are adorable little creatures. If they get too pesky and noisy - they seem to wear hob nailed boots - we let the cat into the loft and they move out for a bit. Occasionally we set a humane trap and release the captives in the horse paddock, but it never seems to make a difference to the overall population. Not much help to you really!
 
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Ale said:
Well cookie the cat is obviously sick of the taste of mice, she was sitting next to a baby one today as it went about it's business. I walked up to her and she meowed and walked off! So that's 2 days in a row I've found a youngster in the house. I've got a month to try and sort this before my landlady gets back so hopefully can work something out!
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Shouldn't laugh, but just have visions of the cat sitting there.......honestly, what are they like?!!!!
 
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Jane&Ziggy said:
We've had mice before and still have them in our loft. They are a protected species (yellow necked wood mice) so we may not use fatal methods on them - nor would we want to, they are adorable little creatures. If they get too pesky and noisy - they seem to wear hob nailed boots - we let the cat into the loft and they move out for a bit. Occasionally we set a humane trap and release the captives in the horse paddock, but it never seems to make a difference to the overall population. Not much help to you really!
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I have a humane trap. They are not going near it I imagine they must be heading outside or downstairs for a food source that is better than the high end peanut butter I'm offering! I will continue as I don't want to use anything harsher and hate seeing cookie with them too
 
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Ale said:
I have a humane trap. They are not going near it I imagine they must be heading outside or downstairs for a food source that is better than the high end peanut butter I'm offering! I will continue as I don't want to use anything harsher and hate seeing cookie with them too
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High end peanut butter, you spoil your mice! We had out best luck with chocolate
 
I dread this! Our cat brings mice home but only as far as the garden *touch wood!
He has never yet brought inside!
I tried to save one this week! It was still alive and I’d hoped just stunned so put it in a box quietly with food and water hoping to release it in the morning... it died
Cats are horrible critters sometimes!
 
Ale said:
I have a humane trap. They are not going near it I imagine they must be heading outside or downstairs for a food source that is better than the high end peanut butter I'm offering! I will continue as I don't want to use anything harsher and hate seeing cookie with them too
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I’m told chocolate is the key ;)
 
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