Evening all. Hope this finds you well, warm and comfortable. Keeping you all in my thoughts for the imminent arrival of the forecasted stormy weather and pray that you get through it without too much trouble.
Now then, I have been wrestling with my conscience. We have mice. Again. We think we know what is bringing the little blighters in - next-door have their guinea pig hutch very close to our garage wall, which I don't mind at all, but I think the mice are being attracted by the warmth and the leftover food, and are finding their way in from there.
It is at moments like this when it is hard to believe that I was brought up as a country girl, able to deal with all sorts of pests, rodents and vermin. You have to when you store homegrown vegetables, otherwise the critters eat their way, and piddle on, your winter store of food. We always had professional mouser cats (even though they weren't acquired as such) although I am still not sure whether they kept the numbers down, or just brought them indoors for entertainment.
Anyhoo, for the past two years when the meeces moved in, we have used humane traps, caught the little critters and then took them away the next morning to release them into woodland. Which is fine, so long as you take them far enough away. I suspect the ones I released at the bus stop simply found their way back again. For all I know, it could have been the same one mouse over and over again.
So this year, as they have already started eating our potatoes and carrots, we have taken the hard line. And I feel awful. We caught the first one overnight and I got the job of emptying the trap and, forgive me for this, clearing up the mess. I was in tears. But what else can we do? Vince is totally useless, he just sits in the garage and watches them (and I wouldn't want him catching them anyway - worms, fleas, tics and all that). So we seem to be left with the evil option. And I absolutely hate it. I hope the God of Mice will forgive me one day.
So, now I have bared my soul and let you know what a wicked, evil woman I am, here is a card for you. It's a classic CAS card this time.
I have used the LOTV Festive Tree stamp
Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and I tried to keep her vintage
Hobby Arts sentiment stamp
Matting layer is Dovecraft Back To Basic Christmas from last year
Hugs, Squirrel xx
hey ((((hugs)))
ReplyDeleteI don't think you're evil. Sometimes nasty things need to be done even though it doesn't seem right. On the other hand, animals kill animals, that's nature. I mean, if it was just one mouse and you knew it would stay that way it's one thing. But they multiply so quickly, you had to do something...
Chin up, girl....
Great card by the way. Lovely image...
Hugs,
Mickymunchkin
Love the card and can sympathise with the mouse problem. We to0 stay in the country, have cat's and yup, they bring us in mice - live ones! I initially started by catching them and putting them out live, but one night I chucked the visiting mouse in the verge opposite, and I swear it was back up the steps and in the house before I was - I watched it! So now, they get one chance, leave quickly alive
ReplyDeleteor else!!! Jx
Oh please don't feel bad Squirrel, I think that you are doing the right thing. If it was a cat catching them it would be far worse, my cat plays with them when they are half dead - its horrible!
ReplyDeleteYour CAS card is stunning, such a sweet image and beautiful colouring. I love the sentiment too.
hugs Sue xx
Such a sweet card squirrel, lovely image and fab colouring..as for the mice...well, some of my elderly clients have had mice, and I deal to them with pellets...always have boxes of these pellets to feed them then they simple go away and you know what!!..sad but true..These ladies live near a creek, and the council come in and stir up the grasses so the little blighters cross to road and make themselves at home...not good, so they gotta go..
ReplyDeleteluv CHRISSYxx
You haven't got an evil bone in your body hun! Mice can easily over run your house and you dont want that! You are doing the right thing. If a cat catches them, they torment them to death, at least this is quick. xxx
ReplyDeleteGorgeous card and love the sentiment xxx
Hi sweetie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a micy story :) I completely understand that you're feeling bad about it. I would feel the same but I don't think you have another option. It's simply not healthy to have them in your house. So don't feel guilty...
Over to your gorgeous card, you really did it again. Wowie!
Hugs,
Lins x
Don't feel bad Squirrel, sometimes these tings have to be done. We had the same problem a few months ago but once they got to my choccy biccies the gloves came off!!
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous cas card today, I love the image and beautiful colouring
Lorraine x
Very hard I know but you did the right thing. Cute card, love the sentiment x
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK with your mouse dilemma.
ReplyDeleteLove your card btw
Kathyk
Please be at ease, you are absolved from your crime...hugs
ReplyDeleteThis card is pure Squirrel at your very best :o)
Jackie xx
Gorgeous image, beautifully painted :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous card, such an adorable image.
ReplyDeleteluv
Debby
Gorgeous and beautiful card Squirrel and don't feel bad if you have tried everything else then it will leave you with no choice
ReplyDeleteHugs Dianne xx :)
a beautiful card, don't worry, you wouldn't like it when they started eating your electrics and you had to renew the wiring, they should stay out if they value their lives lol
ReplyDeleteTilly
Gorgeous simple card, I do like LOTV.
ReplyDeleteMoira xx
Beautiful card, one year we caught about 30 in our shed we back on to fields, our neighbour had budgies, I am afraid it was down to husband to dispose of the bodies, don't feel bad
ReplyDeleteI think I would be exactly the same. Our kitties catch little voles / mice occasionally and that is bad enough, but I think you have to take a stand. Hopefully there is just one little family. We used to keep chickens and read that they can encourage meecies, so to avoid the chance, we used to bring their food inside at night and take it back down in the morning. Perhaps you could ask your neighbours to do that? Surely they are having similar problems? You could get worse issues if the little critters damage wires etc by nibbling through them. I know you're feeling the guilt hun, but you are not alone, and it's better than poison which some people use, which can hurt pets. Don't feel bad.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Annette
xx
Beautiful CAS card and that sentiment is just fabulous!
ReplyDeleteDon't be too hard on yourself about the mice - you would really be a wicked person if you weren't at all upset about having to get rid of them.
Hugs, Kat xx
Beautiful card, that is a lovely sentiment stamp
ReplyDeleteso stunning squirrel.really adorable image and your colouring is beautiful :D
ReplyDeletei would not feel guilty hun, although its not nice to have to kill any animal, they can cause so much damage by eating through electrics etc.
lotsa hugs
nic.xx
another gorgeous card squirrel :-)
ReplyDeletebeing a mouse lover too, I can totally sympathise with you, I do try to save them from my 7 cats, but once we had one in the kitchen for days ,, living under the sink and he just wouldn't go into the humane trap ,,, it was terrible so I know exactly how you feel xx
BUT sometimes these things do have to be done ,,,give yourself a pat on the back for being so brave XXXX
luv
Lols x x x