On the market...

I'm on the market for some new potholders.

Why you ask?

Because I'm not sure if you're aware of this tidbit or not, but mice LOVE the fluff in potholders. Honestly, I wasn't even aware that potholder fluff is catnip for mice. However it must be true because yesterday I opened my drawer to a winter wonderland of fluff. Puzzled, I tried to figure out what in the world got torn up. I pulled out my towels, they were fine; minus the half lb of fluff stuck to them. The potholders seemed fine, until I dusted them off and realized there was one little hole that was chewed into each of them, and obviously a mouse had used this hole to remove all of the hand protecting fluff.

What I don't find necessary, is removing the fluff from all of them. Why not just one? Isn't there enough fluff in the one potholder for it? Plus there is no fluff trails anywhere! So I'm picturing this mouse throwing a fluff party in my towel drawer. Pulling out as much fluff as mousey possible, and using it as we would a massive pile of leaves. Then just scurrying away, the fun over with.

We live right next to a huuuuge cornfield, so it's inevitable that mice will find their way into our house once it gets cold outside. We've tried a million different techniques to prevent this, and all have failed.

We thought this year we'd gotten the upper-hand since our cat is a wonderful huntress, and has already taken out 2 of them (she left them all nice and gross in floor for me to find, and once she knew I found it pranced proudly around purring - jealous aren't you?) - but apparently they get the chance to destroy things before she gets her paws on 'em. Big flaw.

We can no longer do decon because I worry it'll get her sick. The pro mice have apparently educated the new generation on where we place the glue traps, and how to successfully remove food from the center without getting a single piece of fur stuck. The snap traps? Fuggedaboudit. (hahahaha) We have lost the battle with snap-traps. I'm pretty sure the running tally is snap traps, 5; us, 0; mice, WIN! So we are out of options.

I had the idea that maybe we should leave fruit loops around the floor boards to draw them out to where the cat can get them. However Punkin' (aka cupcake) would probably find them, and that's just gross. They haven't really ever damaged anything (minus a corner on the dog food bag, and an attempt at a box of Idaho spuds). Though last year they constantly got into a bag of Doritos, buuut that's how we caught them (it became our trap).

Wait to hear the crinkle...

*crinkle*

[stealth mode] .....

[ninja sneak]....

..quietly grab a chair,

GRAB BAG SUPER FAST!

Dispose of mouse.

It worked. There was the occasional time the mouse escaped the bag, and took off running across the floor; but we're pretty handy, and anything available became a weapon. We always won.

We have no Doritos this year. They haven't been running the same paths, actually we haven't found ANY evidence of them minus the fact that all but one of my potholders are missing most of their fluff!(annd the cats morbid gifts - Thanks kitty.)

This resulted in me having to wash all the linens + undamaged potholder, and condemning that drawer until further notice. Relocating all my kitchen towels was a pain, and it was sad to throw away my trusty potholders. Also this tragedy tells me that somehow they are getting in from under the kitchen sink because there's a way into my towel/potholder drawer from under there. Now I must take everything out from under there, and steel wool all the cracks - if I can even find any. Plus I feel the need to disinfect. A lot.

DH and I took out a bunch last year without the help of anything but a bag of Doritos, so we know the ropes as well. Let it be known it is not below me to chase another mouse down with a broom and a soup ladle.

I do believe this is war.

- Game on mice. Game. On.