To buy a cat or not to buy a cat...that is the question.

I shouldn't be blogging right now.  I should be unpacking.  It's been a week that we've been in our new home and I still am living out of boxes.  I usually am all unpacked the first week.  I know, I know, I'm a little anal in that way but it's true.  I just can't leave a job undone.  I have to finish...and boxes everywhere drive me crazy.

 

So what's taking me so long?   **sigh**

I love the house we live in.  It is HUGE.  I mean 5000 square feet huge, all on one level.  It took me two hours to sweep and mop yesterday. (I need one of those gymnasium brooms and I WILL buy one after that!)   It is older (built in the late 70's early 80's) and has some atrocious wallpaper

...but it is still very nice.  My favorite part is the kitchen.  It has recently been remodeled and is beautiful...gourmet.  Ignore the mess.

We live on 7 acres with 200 acres of undeveloped land around us.  We are right by the mountains and a stream runs through our backyard. 

front yard

back yard

We are renting.  It was as cheap as anything in town and Brad jumped on it, which he should have.  Believe it or not, it is banked owned and the bank is renting to  us.  So, that tells you that this home was a foreclosure.  How long was it empty?  Well, I know at least a year and the guy that rents the barn on our property said three years.  So, here's a little math.  Big, older home, on country property, vacant for three years = WHAT?  Yes, MICE.

The first day I found a dead mouse in the bathroom cabinet.  Here's how the situation went down.

Me:   AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! (It was a long loud scream)  Jordan come here with a bag.

Jordan:  What, what?

Me:  There is a dead mouse in that cabinet.  I want you to pick it up with several bags, don't touch it and throw it outside in the trees, far from the house.  Then wash your hands for two minutes.

Jordan:  No, that's gross.

Me:  Yes, you're a man and  you have to learn to do stuff like that.

Jordan:  I'll do it if you pay me three dollars.

Me:  No, you'll do it because you're a man and that's what men do.  Women clean and pick up mouse poop like I have been doing and men get rid of the dead mice.  (Brad was at work).

A little more arguing goes on but eventually he does it.

Jordan:  Mom the mouse is stuck.

Me:  What do you mean stuck?

Jordan: He won't come off.

Me:  Oh, that's gross.  Pull harder.

Jordan:  I'm...pulling...hard.  Gross.....(after a few minutes of struggling the mouse finally came off)

I looked after Jordan was there and there were little imprints in the cabinet where his feet had been.  I put bleach all over the area, left it and came back to clean.  Still I had to put down contact paper.  So gross, I don't want any memories of that.

Back to where I was....Mice sign (poop) was in every corner of the house when I got here and I have been cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and reading, reading, reading about how to get rid of them.  My favorite is the five gallon bucket.  Just google it and you'll see some lovely pictures.  I'm going to try it.  Then, if that still doesn't work I'm going to have to consider a cat.  The dilemma, I am allergic to cats and in NO WAY am an indoor animal person.  Animals do not live indoors (sorry animal lovers).  The people here say that cats outdoors do not survive coyotes.  So, the question is cat or no cat.  If we make a bed for him in the garage and let him wander outside during the day will it survive?   And, if we do bring a cat home, how do you guarantee that it will be a good mouser?

Oh and by the way, we just had our first victory over the little critters.  I'll spare you a picture.  One down, ???? to go.