Well, FML, following up on a previous post about news article on ferret
"dung" to rid yards of moles, and my telling you I had placed some at the
back of cabinet shelves where a mouse was visiting -- it works. No sign of
little mouse "dung" in cabinets. However, there is some on the kitchen
counters. I think the mouse, or mice, may have just moved to a new
territory and now I have mice visiting the counters, which is worse. So
last night I placed some ferret "dung" at several strategic spots. This
morning I awoke to a loud voice, which belonged to my husband, informing me
that the ferrets were pooping on the kitchen counters............well, of
course, I lied and said, "fancy that, I wonder how they got up there?" He
gave me a suspicious look. I will have to go to Plan B which is humane
traps. However, same husband always complains that mice captured this way
just come back when released down the road. Which reminds me of a story.
A couple of years ago, we had several audacious mice who boldly visited the
cupboards and counters and had lost fear of humans. One night at about 2
a.m., I got up and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. When I turned
on the lights, a mouse fled across the floor, taking up refuge behind the
recycle trash can. Same cupboard door was open. "A-ha" I said, quickly
closing the cupboard door, "You have met your doom this time Mighty Mouse,
I'm getting some ferrets!" Both kitchen doors are always kept shut and
ferrets are not normally allowed in the kitchen. This, of course, makes
getting into the kitchen one of their prime goals in life.
So, running to the bedroom, I started gathering up sleeping ferrets until I
had my arms full. I ran back to the kitchen and dumped the sleepy ferrets
in the middle of the floor. "Get the mouse" I commanded, taking a quick
peek to see if he was still there. The ferrets thought I said "Do the
Watusi". Some thought I said "Trash the kitchen". And they behaved
accordingly. It is amazing how quickly ferrets become alert from a sleeping
state. In the blink of an eye, ferrets were dancing, the other trash can
was knocked over, and a cupboard was opened with subsequent clatter of pots
and pans to the floor. It was a wonder the poor mouse didn't have a heart
attack.
"Enough of this nonsense" I said, and picked up Pepper and dropped him almost
on top of the mouse. He straight legged and did a side ways hop to avoid
harming the mouse. "Pardon me, little fellow, my clumsy mistress nearly
dropped me on top of you".
The mouse broke cover and fled across the kitchen floor. Ferrets quickly
got out of his way so as not to impede his progress. All of a sudden, a
loud voice said "What the h.... are you doing? Do you know what time it
is. What are the ferrets doing in the kitchen?" A sleepy husband had
materialized nearly startling me into a heart attack. "We're catching a
mouse", I told him. "Have you lost your mind, pick up the ferrets and come
back to bed , etc., etc." So I gathered up the crew and told them how
disappointed I was in their lack of hunting instinct as we trudged back to
bed. It took them sometime to calm down. The kitchen is a lot of fun.
"Next time, I'll grab Nelly, I muttered -- She would catch the mouse". And,
she nearly did. The following night, my son, home from college, informed me
there was a mouse behind the cannisters. I grabbed Nelly and dropped her
near -- the mouse broke cover dashing over the counter near the window.
Nelly whirled in a perfect circle with every hair on her body, including her
whiskers, standing straight out and gave pursuit. What a sight. I was so
proud of her. Alas, I grabbed her before she actually caught the mouse. I
just wanted to see if she had any hunting instinct. Nelly never forgave me.
The mouse returned with all it's progeny to haunt the counters and
cupboards.. That winter we captured twelve mice in humane traps. My
husband was certain at least six of them were the same mice. the end. I
have taken so much space I'll have to write "Campfire Treats", another time.
best to all, meg
[Posted in FML issue 1418]
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