Fred and Eleanor cornered a couple of mice on Monday. We’ve easily dealt with one mouse at a time but never two, and weren’t able to get either before going to bed Monday night. Tuesday morning I spotted and grabbed the first and got it outside safely. Within 15 minutes I saw the other hiding in the kitty-litter room and called to Jack to come help me. If someone was watching us, I’m sure that we’d have looked like lunatics, running around in our pajamas, with the dustpan and cheese-keeper (the tool of choice when trying to trap small animals in the home!) in hand, attempting to get the little fellow. When it finally ran into the bathroom, we ran in too and closed the door. It tried to avoid us by running behind the toilet, the radiator, and around the front of the tub as we crawled around on our hands and knees in hot-pursuit.
After about 10 minutes, I thought I had it but it jumped out of my hand and landed on Jack’s back, somehow crawling beneath his pajama top. I suggested he undress in the tub so at least we’ll have it cornered, but then he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and held it tight saying, “I’ll go outside and take it off there. That way, we won’t lose him again!” and with that he jumped up, and shuffled quickly outside to the front of the house and started undressing. He was naked from the waist up but we didn’t see the mouse until it jumped from the waistband of his pajama pants and flew into the bushes. It was our most creative mouse-rescue ever.
I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive. Joseph Campbell
Still laughing. What a great story, thank you. Reminded me of my father sitting relaxing in front of the fire, when he suddenly leapt to his feet and started madly dancing up and down and shaking his trouser leg. We were stunned until the mouse escaped, then we all laughed uncontrollably much to Dad’s annoyance.
You guys are absolutely awesome…so kind.
And while I’m at it…I’ve had this thought many times as I’ve followed your posts for a couple years…you and Jack seem to have a great relationship…congratulations!!
It’s that time of year, Mary. Whatever little creatures who can find a way inside our homes, do, before winter begins. I wonder if urban folks have the same experiences with rodents as those in more rural areas? Several weeks ago, a little red squirrel found it’s way down our chimney in the living room and I found it later preening itself quite calmly on the back of my living room couch. I can easily picture you and Jack having the dance of the meeces but I can truly say that if I had a mouse down my pyjama pants, I would not have been anywhere near as calm as Jack. I would have stripped off more than my top, believe me.
SandyP in Canada
Congratulations on saving the mice and providing your kitties with some highly entertaining maneuvers to watch!
This reminded me of a mouse encounter of my own.
I had been on the phone for a good long time, on hold, waiting for ” the next available” reoresentative at my retirement fund help line where I needed to speak to an actual person to make some necessary changes to my account. After about 30 minutes of holding I was more invested than ever in not giving up when one of my kitties appeared with a very much alive mouse in his clutches. Yikes. What to do hang up?? Definitely not! Let kitty chew on the mouse? Definitely not?? There ensued what would have been a comical ballet with me hanging on to the phone, using as many available limbs as I had to try to entice my kitty to release the mouse The mouse was released, now it was loose in my house so I grabbed a broom to redirect it back outside while distracting the kitty from recapturing it. Meanwhile the next available representative had come on the line so I was trying to answer questions about my name, address, new address, mother’s maiden name etc, to establish my identity so that I could make the necessary transfers, when I watched the mouse rather than head outside, zip down in to our basement where I knew I’d never be able to find him, but at least he was safe from the kitties teeth for now and hopefully be able to find a way to get back outside safely. As I finished my phone call, and consoled my disgruntled kitty realized I had no recollection about what I had instructed the representative to do with my money but figured the next monthly statement would fill me in.
Thanks Mary for another great story of life with our pets!
Love from Fran
PS Jack was very brave! I’m glad he was not bitten!
Fran, I hope Woody Allen was watching your ‘mouse-antics!’ There’s a good comedy sketch in this!
Now thats funny–good story to tell.
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What an incredibly fun story with which to begin a Thursday morning! You and Jack are not only kind, but obviously incredibly agile as well. Two grateful mice are roaming in the grass today, singing your praises to their fellows.
What a funny story! You’ll be laughing about this for a long time. I’ll never forget the time one of my cats brought a chipmunk in the house and it ran up my pant leg to escape capture. I was in the process of stripping off my pants on the back porch when a truck drove down the farm lane near my house and the driver waved to me. My sister-in-law got a kick out of my explanation!
Pam A! You and Mary sure have a way of making men smile! (see Mary’s post of a few days ago in case you didn’t catch it) – she was a smash at her local grocery store, bestowing smiles!
As I picture you and Jack crawling around on the bathroom floor I am picturing George and Gracie, Lucy and Ricky, Stiller and Meara…and now Muncil and Metzger! What a funny picture! And Jack is the hero of the story! What a guy to keep the little critter inside his shirt for even one second longer than necessary! That mouse had the ride of it’s life…I wonder if, as it sat in the bushes likely catching his breath, it was thinking “now…what just happened?” And then gets to return to it’s center in your lovely fall garden! Such a great story! xoxo
Wonderful story! It’s amazing what warmth comes from this little episode. May I recommend an item which works like a dream for all small critters that escape to out of reach places – a long cardboard tube such as those art posters come in – about 2 1/2″ to 3″ across. The dark tunnel is irresistible to mice. I just lie it on the floor, push it in towards the mouse, and wait for the mouse to enter. Then I pull it out and raise the open end. It can’t climb out, and you can carry the little guy outside easily and without trauma. My cats who are lined up around the radiator are always annoyed, of course.
What a great idea! Then they get a real magical mystery tour to the outside! Thanks..one of the best helpful hints ever!
Good morning Mary…I love the visual I have running around in my head of you, Jack and, what must have been a terrified little mouse, all running around your bathroom…and then the “release” outside…too funny!! Of all days that I needed a laugh to start my day, this was the one…thanks for sharing.
Love and hugs, Marian
Mary, what a delightful story! Thank you for your candid and humorous sharing of an inspirational lesson in patience and creativity….I’m so glad you were both able to not only save that little mouse, but give him the experience of a lifetime!
HAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!
Too funny!
Love this story
good story, thanks or sharing, brought a smile to my face
That is unbelievable. Cute story, lucky mouse.
Fred and Eleanor must have spent quite a while plotting with the mice on this one! Are you sure they didn’t set up a camera?
This reminds me of Beau my boston terrier. I was setting at my computer watching Beau tossing something around in the back yard. I called to him and he came running in under the table I was sitting at. I looked at Beau and noticed his little jaws all puffed out with a little grey tail hanging down. I tried to grab him and put him outside, but he immediately started chewing and suddenly the little grey tail disappeared.
This is hilarious! It can only come from you, can’t imagine anyone else will go to such lengths to save the lives of a couple of mice!
Thanks for the sweet and entertaining tale,Mary. It’s good to know there are kindred spirits out there. My husband and I have done this so many times in our own home with all of our Kitty Krew watching us. I know the vast majority of people look upon mice as “The Enemy”. I never have. Causes me to wonder what shapes these attitudes and feelings? All the like-hearted comments from your readers were nice to read,too. I’ve had a bad morning with my neighbor yelling at me,so all the gentle thinking on your blog is a blessing.
Thank you Ann…I am very touched and grateful that this blog is helpful to you,
Hysterical! It reminds me of a story I wrote called “I Don’t Do Mice.” The last image is of my husband walking away from the house towards the woods, dress shirt, boxers, socks, and birkenstocks, carrying the mouse in a margarine tub with a lid. My hero!
GREAT story, Mary! You and Jack are THE best!
Hilarious! Thank you so much for sharing this mornings blog…as I sure needed a good laugh and some light heartedness today! My grand daughter suffering from constant migraine headaches (3 weeks) and no one has been able to help her much and the MRI came back alright…but she is stil in pain and nauseated and stomache from pain meds….big worry…she is only 23. Prayers please….her name is Liz!
Hi Julie, Sorry to hear of this migraine thing with your grand daughter. Would you like me to add her to the prayer group I belong to? They’re non-denominational, have been doing this for decades and I don’t need to even have her name printed (the State she lives in is helpful, though). Just let me know.
I’ll be holding Liz in my thoughts and prayers
Great story! Reminds me of the time I walked into our living and saw one of our cats with a chipmunk hanging out of his mouth. Thinking it was dead, I told him to drop it, and he did, but it was very much alive! All the cats started scurrying around the living room chasing the poor thing, I had to leave for work and worried about what would happen while I was gone. I also wondered how it had gotten in the house when I saw that one of the cats had pushed on the screen leaving a wide opening. I was also concerned because we had just gotten a new couch. Needless to say, I came home that day to all of the cats on patrol in the living room. We never did find that chipmunk, and I had hoped it had exited the same way it had entered!
Ahem…first Mary shows some cleavage; not to be outdone, Jack goes topless! Beware the camera crew lurking for the Full Monty!!
You guys are such a hoot. Thanks for the belly laugh.
I would love to have witnessed this! Lucky mice, although I doubt they realize it!
What a team!
I also have a cat who is quite the little hunter. She has captured, but not always killed mice, humming birds, lizards, voles, rats, doves, mocking birds, and even a young owl. I have had to hone my hunting skills as well, having to capture and liberate them. A shoebox is my usual means of trapping and releasing. I gently pick up the lizards with my hand, but have never had the nerve to pick up the adorable, but skittish little mice. It sounds like you do that, and then put them in the cheese keeper. I assume, then, that they don’t bite. I loved this story of yours and Jack’s experience with two mice. Did Jack remain calm when the mouse was inside his shirt? I think that would have had me screaming to the rafters, lol. Thank you, Mary, for this great story:-)
So great!!No photo needed for this.The story plays out picture perfect in the imagination. You two are sweet souls. Thanks for the laugh of my evening Mary.
Funny story that your someday grand kids will love!! (p.s. We’ll have our second grandchild in May! So excited!)
I love your and Jack’s relationship!!
Julie V.
I suffered from migraines to the point of being in the emergency room more than once. Changed my diet to fresh organic no more migraines. I will say a prayer for Liz.
I’m catching up, and cracked up reading this post… just like an episode of “I Love Lucy”! Loved it and thanks so much for sharing the moment, Mary.