Sad situation with mouse

[CloudyYellow]

Found a mouse in an empty plant pot in the house. I am an animal lover but don't want a mouse living in my house. If I release it into the garden it will die of cold.
Any suggestions?

Kitchen has been gutted so no cupboards so will fill any potential entry points over the weekend.

There’s 2 options, it was brought in from outside (in/on something if you have no cat) in which case you have one mouse or you have mice (plural) living and breeding in your house.

We had mice in our house when we moved in as it had been empty. We now have outdoor mice that the cats bring in occasionally.

Outside mice are fine, indoor mice are a PITA.

No cat so think there will be more.

Just put it outside. Mice don’t die of the cold. If they did, we’d not have mice.

Depends what sort of mouse it is. If it’s a house mouse it’s vermin and you should kill it.

I’d be furious if I thought a well-meaning neighbour was releasing rats or mice that could invade other people’s houses.

If you live in a city with no cat and you have a mouse you need mouse traps. Not humane ones. But instant kill snap traps. You say your kitchen is gutted, well then it has come from outside. Just chuck it back out.

That’s going above and beyond providing a newspaper for the mouse.

If you want it to die of cold just use some rat poison and it will get the job done all the same.

will fill any potential entry points over the weekend.

Use something like wire wool or Brillo pads to fill holes. They can't chew through those. And fill all gaps and holes even if you think they're too small for a mouse to get through.

@HelenaWilson It is amazing what mice can slip through. Their bones are very flexible. I've seen a mouse flatten itself and disappear down a silt in the bathroom flooring, only millimetres wide.

Not sure if this will help after the eviction but we spray our loft with EFA International Mouse and Rat Repellent Spray Peppermint or Cinnamon Oil Spray (Amazon) sorry can't seem to link it.

Whatever was up there throwing raves has gone. DH regularly resprays the loft and it has been silent all this winter. I thought one creature was going to burst through the walls above our bed, bloody noisy little bastards

I hope it should be okay in your living spaces

I don't get why this is a big deal. Catch the mouse, put it outside. Move on

I’d probably show my cat and ask what she thinks we should do. She might have some good ideas.

But since you don’t have a cat, I’d just put it outside.

Not sure if this will help after the eviction but we spray our loft with EFA International Mouse and Rat Repellent Spray Peppermint or Cinnamon Oil Spray

Or you can buy peppermint oil capsules from Holland & Barrett (and other places I suppose) and squirt them around anywhere you think a mouse might be getting in.

Get a windmill, a teeny tiny pair of clogs and book him on the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry.

You need to treat it as a pest and act accordingly. If you've got one mouse there will be more.

If you release it in the garden it’ll find its way back in the house. You have to take it quite some distance away.

I had a mouse in my bedroom a few weeks ago. Little bugger's gone now. I've seen them just stroll in during the winter

Sort of this - every area has a local wildlife network. Basically a group of volunteers who will take any animal off you and ‘rescue it’. One pops up on my feed often - they regularly travel up to people’s homes to rescue mice…

I wonder if he'll enjoy the swings or the slide more?

don't forget to pack a picnic 😍

Can I just say to you that I am trawling MN at the moment as a diversion (I am very very fragile indeed after a life altering huge bereavement) and the thought of you OP, afraid of mice, but still keeping this tiny creature warm and fed has brought tears of joy to my eyes. Bless you. Thank you for your kindness.

I bought peppermint oil from H&B and duly mixed it with water and washing up liquid and put it in a spray bottle as advised on all the sites that tell you how to get rid of spiders and sprayed it everywhere. It didn't have any effect, those little bastards are still running riot.

This stuff does work on whatever was up in our loft, no disturbed sleep at all.

Be more thorough than you think. If a pencil can fit in a hole, so can a mouse. I discovered this too late after my kitchen renovation and the mouse man said the only resolution is to remove my cupboards and fill the holes. (I haven't done this)

This does not happen in the countryside. If I posted about a mouse on my village page they would a)think I was mental or b)offer me a terrier. No-one would be rescuing it. They won’t even rescue muntjac.