Mouse finale.....

We've caught him!!!!!

PP relocated the humane trap this afternoon, under the sink unit, behind the kickboard, and this evening, she heard a faint commotion.  When we checked, there was this little mouse sitting in the trap, looking quite calm and unconcerned.  He even sat up and cleaned his whiskers after having scoffed the peanut butter and sultana bait.

However, then we had a dilemma.  It's absolutely bloody freezing outside and the heavy snow, forecast for tonight, had just started to fall.

What to do?  Having caught him humanely it didn't seem fair to turn him out into a blizzard.

We finally decided to release him right up at the top of the garden, beside the compost heap and underneath the tree canopy, so that he would have shelter, and could burrow into the compost for warmth.  

As back up,  we also filled a bowl with shredded paper and tossed in a handful of raisins so he would have bed and breakfast too.

So off we set, through swirling snow to the furthermost point in our garden.  We made a little nest with the shredded paper and put the sultanas inside.  Then I raised the trapdoor, placed the trap on the paper nest and waited for him to dash out.

We waited.

And waited.

Growing colder by the minute.

The mouse curled up in the end of the trap, seemingly quite cosy.

However we couldn't leave him in there, as he'd simply have set off the trap again.

So I very carefully disengaged the end and set it down on the ground, expecting him to make a bid for freedom

Instead he simply curled up into a ball and settled down in the end.  After a while, with no indication that he had any intention of moving, we'd just decided to let him remain in the open end of the container, as he could leave it whenever he wanted, when he finally decided to uncurl,  scurried out into the paper nest and disappeared.

I hope he's OK... it's going to be freezing cold tonight and he's got accustomed to being in the warm and dry.

Farewell little mouse.... until we meet again!