Stories by Me and Others

May 5, 2010

The Mouse and the Oven Mitt

I got a note from my dear friend which included a small cat and mouse drawing.  Anyway, the return letter, as  usual started out as “I like the your cat/mouse drawing.” Jeez I can never let such rest.

Did you do this little magic cat? I can’t get this image out of my mind. Thank you very much! I just had it out with some mice in my house and the image particularly impacts that relationship.

The first mouse caught by one toe in a newly placed JAWZ BETTER MOUSE TRAP baited with crunchy peanut butter. From a beautiful shiny faun colored rodent with the broad black eyes of a nocturnalite and the long furred tail of a sand dweller he went into a rage beyond measure. He didn’t seem afraid at all. Just really, really, pissed! Here I am this big hulking human and this little guy of say four inches, yes I knew the gender when he peed on me many, many times. I was trying to get him outside with my tan oven mitt holding this “humane” trap holding the little horror. He tried many times to bite the crap out of me. Seemed he could turn in his own skin reversing his course. Had I picked him up by the tail as is “recommended” digits would have been lost. My digits! The “experts” are wrong by the way for when you get into this battle.

Release, about 2am, a swoosh by my right ear could have only been an owl. After that, silence. Miss? Hit? No subsequent squeal! Maybe he got away. Maybe he survived to procreate litters newly pre-trained to avoid such traps and maybe such owls.

The following ayem, the neighbor’s dog removed that same mitt from my porch where I’d pitched it, and then, in the middle of MY yard ripped it to shreds. Who knew there was so much stuffing in such a package.

What is it with Labrador’s and rodents?

Cas once got on PALM RAT scent in my CA house and turned into the raging terror. Spine hair up, fierce belly growl, ears forward, saliva dripping, the dog as wolf after a tiny sheep! The fine girl Lab who lived to lick kids and adults alike became Cujo!

She never actually caught the rat that time. Thankfully for it and me. The open door gave a speedy exit avenue and if I think upon it, probably the entrance as well. And the backyard fence only suffered a cracked through 8′ by 12″ by 3/4″ board from the dog’s head butt as the little guy threw a ratty thumbed nose at her, flipped me off with a fine pink toe and scurried under said fence. Bo, that’s the neighbors dog, made a perfect pile  as he worked to get to the source of the mousalogical smell so craved. Finally, with a final disdainful snort, producing  a cottony cloud,  Bo looked at me, then at the pile, picked up his tennis ball and trotted off, stopped, glanced once more at the pile, then  trotted happily home with a smile only Labs can do.
Love From Here, L