If you give a mouse a cookie . . .

As a child that book seems to make the mouse so cute and endearing.  I mean, who wouldn't give a mouse a cookie after reading that?  Today I find myself finally understanding the true lesson of that story.  I have been dilligently building a stockpile of pantry items.  I carefully place and stack each item with it's like items.  I noticed however, there was a leaky bag of rice.  I am very careful about what I purchase from the store so I know I didn't bring it home that way.  I see no other problems and go about my business.  Last night I go to the pantry to make dinner and I find the new bags of cookie mix have little holes!  I dig deeper and find the unthinkable.  Mouse droppings. 

I am horrified at the thought of a small, uninvited visitor is prancing about while I sleep eating of my discount priced prize possessions.  I scream in disgust and force my husband to come and look at my findings.  I clean, scrub and sort with unwaivering dedication.  I them devise a plan to eradicate my unwanted dinner guest. 

I have an amazing siberian husky who can sniff out anything and loves to hunt.  When we were younger I had gerbils as pets and all she ever wanted was a taste.  I have seen her catch birds out of mid air.  I encourage her and her equally inquisitive offspring to hunt for the mouse.  I even let the cat in and let him go hungry in hopes of finding a dead mouse carcass in the morning.  There must have been a sighting because I found boxes of potatoes and cookie mix on the floor.  That leads me to believe someone caught sight of it.  They continue to sniff and search but I can't wait for natural selection.  I go to the store this afternoon and buy an arsenal of traps and bait.

The way I figure, if he's already living in the house the bait is sure to lure him into my "Hotel California".  By that I mean the Victor mouse trap.  It's a simple concept that has proved no need for improvement.  I have never done this before so I watch a you tube video on how to set the traps.  I find a place in the corner where I saw "evidence" in little piles.  I put one near what may be an access hole behind the air conditioner.  I put one on top of the shelf where I know he has been eating.  I put one underneath the shelf in case he decides to take a tour.  I put one beside the washing machine along with bait near the dryer vent that leads under the subfloor of my house.

I was careful not to handle any poison or put it in an accessible location for my pets to get at it.  I am avoiding laundry tonight.  That way the vibrations of the machines don't set off a false alarm.  I just hope that there was only one.  I dread the idea that there is a little family like in the movie Ratatouille.  You remember the part where the old lady shoots the ceiling and hundreds come pouring out.  It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.

So kids, the moral of the story is mice don't wear overalls.  Mice don't ask nicely for anything.  And most importantly, there's never just one mouse.  Noone ever gives a mouse a cookie, he takes it from the pantry.  Then he finds a comfy place and invites his family over for dinner.  Yuck!