As I announced on Facebook, there is now proof of at least a third mouse in the house. After I posted that, I had this actual text exchange with my brother:
Bro: For rent or sale: cats that eat mice and poop outside
[there's a picture of a largish Siamese licking his crotch]
Me: Do they eat inside mice?
Bro: If the mice could even get near the inside, yes.
Do you want me to ask them?
All right, they talked with their union rep and he said, “That’s almost too damn easy, but they can bend rules for family.” Talk to your cats’ union rep. Probably some clause is why they won’t catch.
Me: Yeah, I think there’s a work stoppage due to the fact that I let the live bird [the orange cat] brought into the house go.
Bro: You’re definitely going to need new cats. He’s probably bringing mice in and letting them go for revenge. Maybe you can get [the new kitty] to cross the picket line. Just start talking about getting a rat terrier.
I laughed and laughed. Seriously, when we’re not busy being giant piles of ass, we are funny people.
Oh mice…not so much fun. In my experience cats will chase birds or mice but not both. Too bad for you. I use sticky traps – grosser but the mouse won’t poison you dog or cat and won’t die inside the wall. Good luck in any case.
I was using the traditional “break their backs” traps, but the Butcher now has some sticky ones. We’re going to have to do a better job of figuring out how they’re getting it. It is possible the cats are bringing them, but this many? I think they’ve found a way in.
I have ferrets and rats *still* got into my house! Luckily, the Nashville health department will put out dog-safe poison for free. I had paid a pest control company, but the health department was more effective.
BTW, you really don’t want your cat to eat mice because the cats can pick up parasites from the rodents.
I read that as ‘Mice, Unicorns, Cats.’ Which does sound like a post you might make.