Mouse in the House!

The last two or three nights, Cyprus has suddenly jumped up and gone skidding into the anteroom, sniffing intently (but briefly) around the door to the butler's pantry. Whatever got her hyped up failed to hold her attention, though, so I figured it might just be an insect buzzing around. I also knew that other possible explanations might need to be entertained, but if something rodent-ary had invaded the sanctity of this home, it would eventually be outed.

Turns out the outing was tonight. Cyprus went blazing for the butler's pantry door again, and once I opened it for her, she completely fixated on the part of the cabinetry in there that was once a flour bin. I pulled it out and sure enough there was the unwelcome guest. (I also saw the attraction for the mouse: when I first got Cyprus, I kept food for her in that bin and some of it had spilled out and fallen down underneath.)

My inclination is to permanently destroy an invader like this without feeling a bit bad about it. However, I took it across the street and released it near a dumpster beside a city parking deck.

I've swept up the dog food and stuffed that hole in the drywall with steel wool. Maybe this will calm Cyprus's mouse hysteria for a while.