Cats are great...

[robgraham]

+1 too - in our case a young rabbit under a bed on a white carpet; by very fortunate coincidence we had to move the bed within that day and no damage was done.

[Another John]

We have one of these:

(almost) every time! :-) Very satisfying to use -- happy endings.

BTW I couldn't find the sales entry on the B&Q site -- only that reviews page, but anyway that's exactly what we have: go to your local hardware shop.

John

[Huge]

I have a number of these.

|countryGB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11778041030967288828&sa=X&ei=Rl2pUPDqJcjx4QSHloGACw&ved=0CF0Q8wIwAwSame comments. Oh, the happy ending is for me, not the mouse.

[Dave Liquorice]

Except it is illegal to release mice... Not that it stops us but then we can release them several miles (literally) from any human habitation.

We have that type of trap and they are quite good. But the little bleeders can gnaw their way out by enlarging the ventilation holes, takes several periods of captivity but they can do it. Ours are branded Rentokill.

[Another John]

What - you mean: *you* eat it?

J.

[mogga]

And able to hide behind the heaviest bookcase in the house.

I don't like finding dead mice that got as far as under the sofa either. The cat that bought mice in has died so we are no longer treated to the delights of catching the buggers. Got bit by a ratty looking thing once so went to the walk in centre. "Did you bring it in a tin so we could ID it?" .. erm, no it was hanging off my thumb and that was the last thing on my mind.

[Onetap]

I'd forgotten one from about 10 years back, that involved a mortally injured mouse that had crawled into my son's shoe and expired. We didn't find it until it was crawling with maggots and son put the shoes on.

He won't do that again, the Cat Bastard is dead; he was costing a fortune in vet's bills.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I got bitten by a mouse once. Picked it up by the tail (as I usually did), but this one managed to coil round and bite my finger, generating two red dots of blood like I'd just put a small staple into my finger.

AFAICR, I simply washed my hands after dropping it off outside.

[whisky-dave]

One of my parents cats used to bring in dead rose buds from the garden, no idea why just brought them in played with them a few miniutes then left them inside and went back out again. She only brought in 1 or 2 a week. She got the name rosebud after that.

[Huge]

Are you sure? I know it's illegal to release grey squirrels, but AFAIK there are no rules for mice.

[Huge]

Well, something eats it. I throw the bodies on the lawn and they vanish.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Various assorted corvids generally.

[The Other Mike]

Relative had one brought in live quite late at night, cat let it loose, and briefly chased it under some furniture. The cat then gave up and reverted to clean itself and prepare to go to sleep mode.

Time for bed, so the cat was shut in the room overnight with an instruction to catch the mouse or it was on a one way trip to the vets.

Next morning they came downstairs and saw a very smug looking cat as it sat on a swivel chair looking at the computer screen. But where was the mouse?

The cat had killed it and laid it out on the mousemat alongside the computer mouse, matching the tail to the curve of the mouse cable.

[Dave Liquorice]

It's very grey area. It's illegal to release "vermin" but there isn't a real legal definition of what are classed as vermin...

8 Oct 2003 : Column WA60 Vermin

Lord Selsdon asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which mammals and other animals are classified as "vermin".[HL4559]

Lord Whitty: There is no definition of the term "vermin" in UK law. In such a situation the Oxford Dictionary definition should be applied.

The Oxford Dictionary defines "vermin" as "Animals of a noxious or objectionable kind. Originally applied to reptiles, stealthy, or slinky animals, and various wild beasts; now, excluding in US and Australia, almost entirely restricted to those animals or birds which prey upon preserved game . . ."

The Small Ground Vermin Traps Order 1958 and the various Spring Traps Approval Orders, refer to "small ground vermin". Neither the orders nor the Pests Act 1954, under which they are made, define this term or provide an exclusive list of species. However, the following animals are listed under various orders: moles, grey squirrels, rabbits, mink, stoats, weasels, rabbits, rats, and mice.

Traps approved under the Spring Traps Approval Order 1995 do not apply to small ground vermin listed in Schedules 5 and 6 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means that red squirrels, dormice, water voles, shrews, hedgehogs, polecats and a number of other species are excluded.

[Huge]

Splendid. It's OK to trap feral cats, then.

[Bob Martin]

and teenagers?

[F]

Even worse when it's a bat that's flown into the bedroom under its own steam at just gone midnight! 'twas interesting trying to persuade it to exit through the window it had come in through with the lights on and the curtains open...!

[Onetap]

Ceratinly not. What would I hunt with my bowling ball firing mortar?

[Sam Plusnet]

You _brand_ mice?

Fiddly job as well as cruel.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

I've found that bats, in spite of their legendary echo-location and maneuverability, aren't immune to being batted down by a cunningly swung pillow. They can be picked up and tossed out the window.