Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Instinct

We had quite the hubub here the other morning. You know how sometimes in the morning you're just not quite with it? You don't have your glasses on and everything is out of focus? Yesterday morning was one of those mornings for me and D.

Part of the reason for me was that Gus was yowling and carrying on in the early morning. That boy sure has some lungs. Jack was tucked in with me. D got up and he likes to sit for a bit in the morning and gather his thoughts usually in the dark. You don't want to gather those thoughts too quickly or you'll be placed in charge of making breakfast.

As I walked into the living room D was saying to Gus; why are you looking at the curtains? I look up to see a fist sized, dark shape move across the top of the curtains. Before you get too freaked out remember I have smaller fists. I grabbed my glasses so I could see and sure enough a mouse was up on our curtains. Freaky!

We both go into What-can-we-use-to-get-it mode. Jack however went into his Mine! mode. D grabs a dishcloth as his weapon and I decide a pep talk to Jack is my most effective thing. My track record is not so good when it comes to mice in the house. Who knows it may even be the same mouse. I tell Jack this time he needs to kill the mouse! D-E-D, dead this time. (Bonus points if you know what movie that is from.)

I start tapping and shaking the curtain to send the mouse D's way and after much scurrying it ends up on the couch. All we saw was a blurr going over the arm of the couch followed by Jacks butt and tail. It all happened so fast! Jack emerged a moment later with something in his mouth and proceeded to the dining room. What? Where do you kill your mice? He dropped the mouse and then sprinted after it and caught it again. I ran to get a paper towel, shouting encouragement all the way.

I returned to find the mouse laying motionless in front of Jack, and my husband with a look of awe on his face. Jack was praised. The mouse was given a paper towel coffin and placed in the outside trash bin.

As D says he was all instinct, a pure killing machine.

Greenies treats and many fur strokes were given in praise to our boys. Gus for pointing him out and Jack for doing the deed. I must tell you I think the mouse was twice the size of a normal sized mouse.

Later in the day I came across this article. Which talks about what would happen if all the cats on the earth died. Other than my heart being completely broken, the rodent population would increase. I refer you to this line from the article:  A study in New Zealand in 1979 found that, when cats were nearly eradicated from a small island, the local rat population quickly quadrupled.


Can you imagine a quadrupled rat population? Even if I can I don't want to!

Well done boys, well done.

4 comments:

  1. Bravo, Jack! I am an all-round animal-lover, but I can't say I enjoy mice scampering around my house. *shiver* Sadly, Rascal is useless at rodent-capture. He makes up for it by barking his head off at it instead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would be way more willing to live and let live with mice if they did not carry disease and cause destruction.
      Poor Rascal at least he lets you know where they are? Mom, there is a mouse in here get some traps Mom.

      Delete
  2. Robin Hood Men in Tights. The Godfather type character says it.
    I love that movie!

    ReplyDelete