How to catch a mouse without using a mouse trap

For the past few weeks the cats have been lurking in the basement. Cliff went down to investigate the source of the "entertainment" and found nothing rodent. So we waited.

Last evening, I was talking to my Mom on the phone when I noticed the cats playing with a mousie. We had just purchased a couple of new fur covered mousies for them and I thought they were cute playing with their new mousie. HOWEVER, when I realized what they were playing with - A REAL LIVE DEAD MOUSE - I called for Cliff who immediately jumped off the computer and came to see what was going on.

The cats were having a ball. Bootsy would "pat, pat, pat" the dead mousie and then Betsy would take her turn, "pat, pat, pat."

In the meantime, I'm jumping around saying "Oooo - it's a dead mouse, Oooo - Bootsy don't play with it, Oooo - Oh gross, Oooo - it's on my new carpeting, Oooo - hurry Cliff get it...." Meanwhile, Cliff nonchalantly goes to the kitchen - gets a paper towel - picks it up and states "it's a weird looking dead mouse" and escorts it to the garage for it's rather unceremonious garbage can funeral.

My Mom said we should have had a mousie funeral, embalmed it and formed it's little mouth into a smile and had a service. Ummmm, NO!

We hope that is the last of the Big Hunt in the Basement for 2007!!!