So late last night, after many hours sitting post in front of the heater, Gizmo coaxed the mouse out of its hiding place and all three felines went running towards the other end of the apartment chasing the poor thing. The mouse went into hiding under a little table and I was able to get it into the little box I had prepared for it. The mouse is freaking adorable, and I just couldn't get myself to kill it or have the cats torture it until its little heart stopped. Naturally the mouse spent the night in the box and I picked up a habit trail from my friend Maria the next morning.
Bruce and I set it up with plush pet bedding, granola, and water. We dropped the little bugger in its new home and watched him run around, as well as climb the containers grating. I worried that maybe the mouse could squeeze himself through the grating, but after watching him attempt unsuccessfully, Bruce and I sat back and continued our work...until, I heard the mouse drop from the bookcase we had put the habittrail and the cats scramble to get it before it slipped under the fridge! Damn!
The cats looked at me like I was insane for taking it away from them in the first place. They've probably got a point I've given them the OK to finish the deed since the little rodent just isn't grateful enough. Unfortunately the cats are too pooped from all their mouse hunting to attempt to hunt it down again. I may have missed my big chance with them...