To dispose of mouse or not?

[SchrodingersMouse]

Tw: dead mouse

(Name changed to avoid being recognised)

Yesterday our cat found a dead mouse. She didn’t kill it - it was already dead. It was probably poisoned by our neighbours, who have a mouse infestation and called in the pest control people.

We didnt want our cat eating the poisoned mouse so we brought the cat in. Then we noticed the mouse was in the last throes of death so waited a while before disposing of it. In fact the mouse was struggling to breathe and shivering so we put a small flannel on it to help it die in some comfort (yes we are ridiculous).

An hour or so later we became worried that another cat would eat it or play with it and it was still breathing but totally paralysed. So we put it in a small box and brought it inside to die in peace and warmth on a high shelf.

The mouse has remained completely still with no signs of breath since yesterday evening.

AIBU? I now want to dispose of the mouse.

Dh doesn’t want to get rid of it because it might not be dead yet. I think it is sadly dead and it is weird to keep it in our hall for some future proof of it being dead.

@Winniemarysarah

I’d have done the same op. I’m betting the majority typing ‘bang it on the head’ wouldn’t actually be able to do it.

Thank you

@userxx I can't do it but thankfully my husband can! Luckily our rats and mice that the cat brings in (often, she's a talented hunter) haven't been poisoned so if my husband is out I let the cat do it, it's much quicker than taking them to the vet once she's maimed them 🤢

@SchrodingersMouse also the rodents take the poison back to their nests and can drop it on the way, which is incredibly dangerous to children, pets and wildlife. We lost a pet through picking up poison in this way.
We keep chickens so always have to be aware of controlling rat populations but Id far rather pay ££££ for fancy rat proof feeders imported from Australia and being BEYOND disciplined about removing all sources of food, disrupting possible runs and shelter etc.

Non-maimed one's going back outside, maimed - cat can dispatch in less than 60 seconds. Dead ones that the cat can't be arsed to eat get thrown out for the jays.

Please not in the compost/food recycling/garden if it was poisoned. The poisons will get into our food chain when compost is used in gardens and fields.
If it wasn’t poisoned, normal compost would be fine though or just the bushes.

"
I certainly wouldn't. I'd have driven to the emergency vets and probably paid £££ to put it out of its misery."

@userxx Really? Do you have cats?

[quote iloverunningslow]@userxx I can't do it but thankfully my husband can! Luckily our rats and mice that the cat brings in (often, she's a talented hunter) haven't been poisoned so if my husband is out I let the cat do it, it's much quicker than taking them to the vet once she's maimed them 🤢[/quote]

This is why I'm a dog person. A local cat took a liking to me and bought me a gift of a mouse one night, she was very pleased with herself and extremely put out that I wasn't thrilled with the gift. The cat then decided to leave me with a pile of puke with bits of mouse in it, except the tail which was intact 🤢

Double bagged in the general waste in case it has been poisoned. We had this recently with rats and I was very worried about the wildlife eating them.

Particularly worried about the red kites we have in abundance round here. The pest controller said that it was unlikely a cat would eat enough of the rodents to be affected but the kites would. Previously if our cat caught and killed something I would leave it out for the kites.

@Winniemarysarah

I’d have done the same op. I’m betting the majority typing ‘bang it on the head’ wouldn’t actually be able to do it.

Have done, would do.

The only safe way to dispose of it as pp said is double bag and in bin, otherwise it poses a risk to other wildlife and pets.

Stick it in a carrier then another bag, go for a walk. Leave in a public bin

I stood on one by accident in my garden. It was very soft and died immediately.

Do all the time plus keep chickens and ducks that I've had to euthanise. @winniemarysarah

Some of us choose to live rurally.

@SchrodingersMouse

Unfortunately vets are not interested, as others have said. I don’t think this kind of poison should be allowed.

I'm a receptionist in a vets and we would never dream of being 'not interested'. It would have been taken through and euthanased within a few minutes. All manner of wildlife is brought in and we treat it for free. The pet crematorium we use takes wildlife for cremation, for free. I've worked at 4 different vets and it has always been this way. We had a wild rabbit with myxomatosis today and we were grateful it was brought in so we could immediately relieve it's suffering.

@Winniemarysarah

I’d have done the same op. I’m betting the majority typing ‘bang it on the head’ wouldn’t actually be able to do it.

Yes let the poor mite suffer to preserve your sensibilities.

I'm sorry but if you choose to have a cat you need the stomach to stop suffering.

@Chunkymenrock that's good to know. I've heard of people taking in injured birds to our vets and know they did euthanise them so I hoped that was the case.

Sadly any mice I've rescued from our cats, even if they appear not to be injured, have died (assume of fright) almost immediately.

@AppleButter

Please not in the compost/food recycling/garden if it was poisoned. The poisons will get into our food chain when compost is used in gardens and fields. If it wasn’t poisoned, normal compost would be fine though or just the bushes.

Oh sorry, wasn't thinking of it being poisoned. Good point. I was just talking about how I dispose of the ones my cat catches

But the cat didn’t kill it. The poison did. If the cat catches something we deal with it. We have also learnt that many animals are in shock or are playing dead for a while, so I’m glad we don’t euthanise them all immediately. Many of them escape.

Wow, that’s interesting to know, thanks, and not what the vet said to me (although that was in the context of when the cat was a kitten and so was more to do with things she might catch) Do people just bring the animals in?

@fantasmasgoria1

You are not ridiculous. If my cat brings us a mouse and it's still alive I will stroke its head and wrap it in tissue to keep it warm.

Honest question, considering those mice are not pets, wouldn’t it be terrifying for them having what they see as a giant predator strolling their head? Seems pretty much like leaving the cat to play with them until they die. (Sorry)

I can't believe people still use poison in this way. It really shouldn't be allowed to be sold.

It’s a mouse. If it’s half dead through cat or poison, you thwack it and dispose. It’s the kindest thing. And btw I say that as someone who has done so. Putting a dying animal out of its misery is not cruel.

If my cat brings home any small furry things** from outside, we tend to take them to field behind our house, dead or still partially living. I now have a specific tub that I use to do this as I has become so frequent.

**We live in a rural village near loads of fields, so we get Mice, Shrews, baby rats, butterflies and most recently a sparrow. We have to check that she's not trying to smuggle her catches in, but I often find them on the doorstep when I leave for work.

I return live things to the field. Dead or dying things are put out of their misery