There is a mouse in my kitchen

[Crunchymum]

Yep, out it popped. Seems to be living in a crooks between my washing machine and the saucepan cupboard.

Firstly - what can I do?
Secondly - why the fuck has my cat not noticed we have mice?

You can get humane traps and less humane traps. Depends how squeamish you are. Our cat will bring them in live and let them go. Sometimes I sweep them up with a dustpan and brush and let them go outside.

The cat probably brought it in to play with and eat later.
A “Little Nipper” mousetrap is lethal and v effective if baited with peanut butter, but must be positioned where the cat can’t reach it, so she doesn’t injure her paw or face by accidentally triggering it.
The metal bar snaps the mouse’s neck, so death is instantaneous.
Mice drip urine wherever they go, and can chew wiring - you need to get rid of it asap.

Cat is an indoor cat and unless the mouse came in two front doors (main door is shared with downstairs neighbour) and climbed 3 flights of stairs, I can't work out how it got here?

• or it scaled a 30 foot wall?

Mice can get in if there’s the teeniest hole anywhere. The reason they stay is if there’s a food source.

See if you can chase it behind a long curtain. They always then seem to hide with their tails out. You can then grab it by the base of it’s tail and throw out the door.
(I fo this on a bi-weekly basis, at least).

Can't believe as a 40yo I have never dealt with mice before.

By food source do you mean things that are "out" like the fruit bowl? (Or onions that I keep out in a bowl)

Are they getting into open things in cupboards? I tend to use those IKEA clips for things that we open?

Try to keep crumbs / mess to a minimum but have 3 kids.....

Why can't they smell my cat, why can't my cat smell them???

@underneaththeash

See if you can chase it behind a long curtain. They always then seem to hide with their tails out. You can then grab it by the base of it’s tail and throw out the door. (I fo this on a bi-weekly basis, at least).

Whilst I am not particularly scared of them, I don't think I am quite there

(plus no long curtains!)

Going to clean out all the cupboards and check for droppings etc..

Yuck!

"whatammagunnadoo"

There are obvious food sources like fruit left out or cat food in a bowl but it more likely the crumbs behind and under things you might not notice so much. For that reason I make sure all packets are sealed.

Any visiting mice I’ve encountered seem to be in my utility room where the cat flap is, the pipes from the dishwasher leading to the outside drain is and also where my larder is.
Cats have a lot to answer for. If they haven’t brought them in then they should be doing something to earn their keep.

There is unlikely to be just one mouse OP.......,,,