scritch is back

i listen carefully but don't want to look.

the soft scritch is back. and it can only mean one thing. we caught a critter.

one of the downsides to living in a house that backs to the woods is when the weather gets cold, things start seeking shelter in warmer places. like my kitchen.

as a vegetarian, i walk a tough line between wanting them out of my house and the squishing them approach that others often take. unfortunately my dogs don't scare the little furry things away like a cat would. and allergies prevent my house from being a kitty haven.

sure we've caulked and put brillo pads in the holes they may have used to enter the house. but let's face it, we live in an older house with lots of little gaps that let hot air out and mice in.

so we set out humane traps that do not kill or squish the unfortunate mouse who moves in. but if we catch one we need to get it out of there or it will die from starvation or thirst.

my husband takes the trap out to his car and drives them across the highway from where we live and lets mickey loose in the woods. really. he knows he would let loose in the woods if he was lying to me.

so now that a scritch is back, i need to get mike to check the "mouse house" to see if anyone has checked in. i feel guilty looking into the clear top to see the little eyes saying, "uhm, excuse me but the door has locked from behind. please be a love and let me out, will you? i have littles one to feed."

instead, i scrub the kitchen with disinfectant again.