What to do with wounded mouse (might be a bit gruesome)

[Thekitten]

Posting here for traffic as original thread in the litter tray got no response.
My cat brought in a mouse a couple of days ago, and I found that she'd wounded it to the point where it was still alive but couldn't move it's back legs.

I caught and released it into a nearby field, but I'm worried I've sent it to a long slow death, instead of a quick one by my own hand - which I just can't bring myself to do. Was I unreasonable? What's the most humane thing to do here?

I use the kitchen towel and a brick method here-followed by a swift gin if the time of day is appropriate - but I can see the benefits of the freezer for the slightly less pragmatic. It would be a much more humane death than giving it back to the cat or putting it outside for nature to take its course.

Lol at the PP who said ‘take it to the vet’.

Pick it up and a quick slam of its head over a stone wall or a large stone dropped its head would’ve done the trick nicely.

I bet the vet would secretly laugh at anyone bringing a mouse in wounded by a cat, while secretly running his hands in glee. [laugh]

Re the vet - assuming you are willing to go through catching, transporting and paying for the mouse to visit the vet, surely the poor thing will be stressed the entire journey?

We tend to let our male cats finish the job as they're pretty efficient (still sad of course). Our female hunter is evil "playful" when it comes to her catches, though, and will string out the death as long as possible. So those ones we usually try to confiscate and dispatch, if they're wounded. (Usually broken bones even if no wounds as she throws them).
We do have bells on her, and keep her in overnight so catches are limited.

Would people be so worried about an injured rat?

I actually have to deal with more maimed rats than mice (country dweller) so I treat them in exactly the same way- but probably with two gins after....

Taking the mouse to the vet is massively impractical by the time I get home. And the poor thing would have to spend all night suffering waiting for the vet to open again!

@passmethecrisps your story had me giggling so much that I had to tell the story to my colleague too XD

All these stories are making me feel better about having to despatch the poor mouse myself next time. It's not that I'm a wuss, I just hate the thought of taking a life - I refuse to kill insects even, unless I've discovered them in my food (weevils). But this thread is making me feel better about the necessity of it...

@derxa she has brought in a baby rat before, and I would've been just as concerned for it, but she ran back out with it instead.
She then lost it in a fight with another, much bigger, cat. I found half of it a few days later, pretty grim and poor ratty :(

Just imagine the vet fees if the cat brought in several wounded mice a week?

I have just remembered another cat based story.

When I was about 18 I was home from uni and had been out on a night out.

I woke up, opened my eyes and look straight into the face of a wee rat. He was sitting on my chest looking very deeply at me. I sat bolt upright and screamed causing the rat to nip me in alarm before diving under the bed.

Thus began an hour long stand off while we both hid behind doors staring at the other. He finally made a break for it and ran out the house into the field.

Then my mum woke to find me in jammies and a pair of wellies brushing my teeth after it was all finished.