We have tried every trick in the book to oust the mice and it just isn’t happening. I see at least one rodent a day and it’s never ever a dead one. Pest control have been in here twice, a carpenter covered holes around pipes, I’ve put in a number of delicacies in a number of rotating traps, we have sticky boxes that the mice wisely avoid and poison that is also avoided. My walls are supported, in part, by steel wool…and still…we are over run.
Nora and I have picked out a Craigslist kitten. It’s a black and white female Nora has named Licorice. Brilliant name, Nora, but as for the rest: note my absence of enthusiasm. We pick up this kitten tomorrow. It’s five months old, comes with accoutrement and shots and has reasonably short hair.
I feel like that husband who doesn’t want kids but has to because it was part of the bargain when he married that woman he fell in love with. And yes, like babies, I have heard that once I see that little ball of cuteness and call it my own, everything changes and I’m going to be happy I did this. But then I think of that one Dad who confessed to me, “I love my kids, but if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t.”
Right now all I can think of is sweeping cat fur, picking up broken Christmas bulbs, finding scratches on my leather sofa, stinky cat food, litter box in the closet, pain in the ass when I go out of town. And, being a realist, I also expect this to be absolutely no good whatsoever as a mouse deterrent.
Now all you cat people out there, you are getting cross with me right now. You are all choked up, “This poor little kitten needs a loving good “forever” home, Lucia, how dare you get a cat purely for hygiene!”
Well. Don’t worry. It will be a forever home. I think that’s why I am not that excited right now. This is not a whim. I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. At least I don’t have to change diapers and breast feed. (Yeah, I didn’t like breast feeding either. Now I’ve really lost you. You thought you knew me, didn’t you?)
And I swear to God, as I type this, a mouse is staring at me from my kitchen floor. Nature. There’s no use, is there? It always wins.
One word: JuJube.
bahahahaha! I know…I know…I have thought of JuJube…! What’s it with the candy cats anyways?
And don’t discount Licorice’s mousing potential – she may just be still casing her new territory:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cats_actually_kill
I pray your cat will not bring its still alive catch onto your bed at 3 a. m. proudly showing you what a good mouser it is (speaking from experience).
I was told if you see one mouse there are many many more in the vacinity.
We finally resorted to a cat and a humane mouse trap. The downside is you still have to get rid of the trapped live mouse unless you catch several, in which case they canabalize.
The good news is you have mice not rats.
I have a few stories about them too.
I have learned to say, “and this too shall pass” and eventually it always becomes history.
I think the kitten is a good choice.
Love the name. Hope to see some pics.
Charlotte
as you know i lost my dear cat, Portia in May of this year. i still miss her and that is one of the reasons i give for those friends who think i should adopt again, even those friends who gone so far as to thrust possible feline candidates my way.The loss of Portia made me more aware than ever of what giving a forever home to a cat means, More than likely it will be their forever and not mine.
another reason i have held off is the litter box. you know how small my house is, dear Lucia, but what you might not know is i don’t have actually have a closet to put a litter box in. if i get a cat the dreaded litter box will live directly behind my front door – always a challenge.
the third reason is guilt. i felt like a bad mother every time i left Portia at home alone all day to go to work, and even worse when i was involved in a show that took me away from home most of the day and all evening too. so if i adopt again i fear i will have to get two cats so they can keep each other company and alleviate my guilt.
so i’ve put it off for now, telling my friends that are eager to see me paired up with another cat that i miss MY cat, i don’t necessarily miss having A cat.. i need to wait for now,,, at least until after Christmas…
It’s a big decision, I totally hear you. I think we made the right one, there seems to be a lot of people out there who are willing to cat sit when I’m away and Nora is playing with her a lot and Michael even came over especially just to see the cat and offered to take her for a visit! (he’s such a softie)