So we live in a townhouse (about 10-15 in our row), and they are ripping out the kitchen of the townhouse a few doors down...tonight we came home to our cat (who I now have nicknamed "The Jack Bauer of Mice") batting around a baby field mouse, and she had apparently killed one and left it by the door for us earlier today. We disposed of them, but now I'm having a slight anxiety issue that we may have an infestation somewhere in our walls!
We don't have any signs of mice living in our townhouse (other than, you know, the actual mice!)...no droppings, nests, signs of chewing, etc. and I'm a neat freak so I think they either came through the walls from the ripped out kitchen, or possibly came in from outside since there was a sudden temperature drop in the past few days.
Has anybody tried the "humane" mouse traps or any other methods that would be safe to have with a cat around? I don't want to use the traditional traps (which I've heard actually work the best vs. those fancy ones!) because I don't want her to get stuck in them...and I'd rather avoid chemicals that she could ingest. Just wondering if there is a method that works best? Our complex exterminator will come in a couple of weeks, but for my own sanity I need to do something first haha...
Oh what a day!
Re: Safe mouse traps for cats? (NBR)
Honestly - it seems so simple, but we caught 2 at a time in this trap. We baited with a wheat thin with some peanut butter and put it under our cabinet, but you could put it against the wall too. I don't know that anyone would need a 12-pack, but this is what came up...
https://www.amazon.com/Mice-Cube-12-Pack-Reusable/dp/B002PACRHC
we tried the plastic humane traps and had no luck. we tried for months before giving up and using snappies (which is when we caught 20 MICE). but for us, they were down by the walkway to our basement, and not where our cats are allowed, so we didn't have to worry about their paws or noses getting snapped.
my friend had a suggestion though. she caught a bunch of mice by setting up an empty jug (or pitcher, or something) and put a paper towel on top with some crumbs in the middle, and a way to get to the top of the pitcher (like a stick or ruler or something). the mice would climb the stick, and go for the crumbs in the middle, and instantly fall through the paper towel, trapping them in the pitcher. she said she caught 15 this way lol...the humane traps also didn't work for her, but her own homemade contraption did! she then put them all in a 10 gallon tank together (with some food and water) until she caught them all, then she released them.
when you catch them, be sure to drive them at LEAST a mile away from your house to release them or they will just come back.