I am a breeder and
owner of the Maine Coon cat. It is a large breed, sought after originally
because of its usefulness as a hearty barn cat who could survive the harsh
winters in Maine and keep the rodent population under control. Throughout
history, a cat’s main job for humankind has been that of mouse exterminator. Since
its acceptance as a breed in the 70’s and growing popularity as a pet and show
cat, many have speculated that the Maine Coon’s killer instincts have been bred
out of it.
River snuggles with Tina
Getting a live mouse out of the house when one has several
predators around is a daunting task. I have witnessed our dogs brutally killing
mice and song birds with one bite. I rolled the piano back in place to protect the
mouse, put Cory in her crate and called my husband for assistance.
I was and am not concerned about finding a den of rodents as
I’m pretty sure I know how it got in. We have an enclosed outdoor cat run
connected to the house. The cats have access to the run via a cat door
installed in the basement window. I occasionally find a rodent victim (vole or
mouse) dead in the cat run. While it is
very unlikely a mouse could push the door open to gain entry, it could be
carried inside via the mouth of a cat. A live mouse makes for some major feline
entertainment. Before the cat and mouse games could get too far, the mouse
likely escaped. All was well and good for the mouse until it realized it had
fallen into mouse hell…a whole city of Maine Coon cats.
Back to the piano mouse. After my repeated calling, Jay
showed up and I explained our dilemma. Once I reminded him that we were NOT to
kill it, he suggested I get a towel to throw over the mouse when he moved the piano
back. I got ready with my towel. From the other side of the piano, Jay moved it
away from the wall. Simultaneously, one of my pottery vases fell from the top
of the piano as I tossed the towel. The vase broke into a million pieces and
the mouse jumped over the towel, running into the kitchen. Many expletives
followed, including the declaration that I do not make a good exterminator.
It was determined that Mr. Mouse had crawled under the stove
after I pulled the bottom drawer out and saw him back there. Now he had many
opportunities to go behind the cabinets and hide indefinitely. This could take
a while if he didn’t venture out. However, I wasn’t too worried as Tina, River,
Valentine and Boom Boom were standing guard. I reminded Jay that if we heard a
commotion in the middle of the night we had to get up so we could try to save
the mouse before my feline forum did too much damage. Major eye roll from my
husband.
“Hey, if I said, ‘let’s set traps and kill the mouse’, you’d
suddenly wonder who you’d married,” I retorted. I am also the person who puts
the errant moth and spider outside unharmed, so of course mice deserve the same
protection in my animal-loving mind.
Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long. After watching the
Olympics for a while, Jay went to the bathroom and I came into the kitchen to
put my wine glass in the dishwasher. All the cats were gathered around the step
stool in the kitchen. River, our 10-month-old brown tabby lay on the floor,
casually watching as Valentine, Tina and Boom Boom crouched attentively beside
the stool. Hmmm. Wonder what you guys are up to. I called repeatedly for Jay,
but Lord knows he can’t hear me in an emergency.
I grabbed a large plastic cup and carefully lifted one side
of the stool. Sure enough, Mr. Mouse ran out but right into River’s arms. She
surprised me by not jumping up, but instead she welcomed the little guy as her
new playmate, letting him hide between her front legs. With my cup positioned
on the floor, I let the mouse choose between me or a bunch of cats. He ran into
the cup and I had him. Fortunately for the mouse, he seemed unharmed. Before I
let Mr. Mouse outside, I took a picture and warned him about not going too
close to the chickens’ yard. Our chickens are major rodent killers.
