For some time now my wife has been noticing an intruder in the wet kitchen of our house. You know, little droppings here and there and scratches on the pots and pans (the bottom part). Her conclusion was: there is a mouse in the house.
And so we set a trap. I took out the brand new mousetrap we bought a while ago, placed a piece of luncheon meat in the hook within and waited. Nothing happened (I think the mouse was a picky eater, shunning “made in China’ stuff, probably out of concern about the lead level in it).
So, next I washed the trap clean with soap and water and placed a piece of home cooked meat in it. Nothing happened the next day.
And then yesterday, we caught the critter! Yeah!!!!
Which begs the question: Now what?
I think there is a design flaw in the mousetrap. I mean, yeah, so it can catch a live mouse, but then what do we do with it? I’d rather have a mousetrap that not only catches the mouse but also teleports it to Timbuktoo or join our Angkasawan in space. 
So, now we have a dilemma. How do you kill a mocking-mouse?
My wife suggested drowning it in a pail of water (like what her dad used to do).
My mum was more sadistic. She used to pour boiling water on the mouse and literally cooked it.
I have not the stomach for either of the 2 methods.
In this day and age, even a mouse has rights!
So, how do you kill the fella?
Any suggestions? I need them fast because the fella is now in my backyard (awaiting execution) and being tormented by at least 5 of the neighbourhood stray cats (who obviously were not doing their job). And I fear Leptospirosis if I wait too long.
So help, send in your suggestion here ya. I need the most ‘murine’ (as opposed to humane) way of disposing off the critter.
Wed, 101007 @ 0749
Guys, lets not romantize the issue here. The mouse is a dirty potential source of infection and not a cute-sy cartoon character. Anyway, the mouse is dead and I consider the case closed, until the next mouse comes along.
thepearlady, the rat poison does not dehydrate the rat, rather, it causes internal bleeding. The ’screaming’ you hear might be the last sound before death due to internal bleeding.
a nest full of ‘little ones’ is a frightening thought, except for in the cartoons. ;P For PETA’s sake, if you would let it go, let it go FAR away, else it might come back to visit.
The poisoning has been the most efficient and bloodless way to go to get rid of it. However, the poison will probably work by dehydration of the rodent. So, a word of warning, some rats do scream as it dehydrates and cannot get to water…or errm, screech is more accurate. It can make a horrid noise! Good luck!
hmm… almost 80% or more comments here are talking about how to kill the poor little thing. Why do you have to kill it in the the first place anyways? I suggest releasing the little thing away from your house and hopefully it would not bother to return to …hmm perhaps a nest full of other little ones…begging to be fed in your kitchen cupboard somewhere…
Composition C-4 plastic explosive. Ask from the local police.
Hey the road to your hospital looks like its in the middle of a padi field!
dobbs! *gasp*, are you suggesting I release a potential source of infection in the vicinity of a health care facility?!!!!
huajern, IF I can gather the neighbourhood cats together, i’d like to kill them too, they are a pest and nuisance.
anastasia, the neighbour that always annoys me most is my NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR!! It wouldn’t do to release the mouse into their compund because it will just scurry back into mine! And FYI, 80% of the stray cats in my neighbourhood are the litter of the hypersexual hyperfertile tabby belonging to my obnoxious neighbour.
put it in a rag and hold to tailpipe of car-sleepy time
Step one to killing a rat: Do NOT take cute closeups of it!
Haha.
I think leaving it out to starve and die is among the most cruel of methods to the rat (easy on the human though).
You could throw the whole lot, cage and all, into the dustbin and wait for the dustbin people to collect it, but then again, when the dustbin people find out, they may never collect rubbish from your house again.
I think you should just release it, be it to the neighbour-whose-always-annoying-you’s house or somewhere far far away. OR, release it to the neighbourhood coffeeshop drain, bet it’ll have lots of friends there!
Just feed the cat with the rat. It’s nature & part of food chain.
then again, that was before 2 cats adopted us. byebye rat problem~
what my mom does is leave it out in the sun…
and if it’s still alive the next day, let it loose far far away – it was just not meant to die. ><
let the neighbourhood cats gather round.
excite them a bit with the rat.
then release the rat (in a direction AWAY from your house), and watch ‘live’ NatGeo.
If the rat is smart enough, it may escape. If too dumb, then it deserves to die by natural predation.
See, no guilt on your part.
lol…
so difficult…
ok la… why not just let it go…
Actually the road leading to your hospital looks pretty isolated (from fibrate’s video). Why don’t you just release the mouse there?
hai just let ur neighbour cats have a feast la…
i think the vermin can die of 3 ways through team.warsurfer’s method:
(the sun must be scorching hot)
1) the shear heat from the sun
2) dehydration
3) starvation
my mum used to do that (normally in the morning) and behold, you got rigor mortis in the evening on the exact same day!
team.warsurfer’s way is the most humane way
You dont need to pour susbtance/liquid on it…
You dont need to electrify it…
All u need to do is… leave the cage outside..
Actually when I look at the pic, it seems to say to me “wait till i get out of here, I am so going to give your rabies!”
just imagine dr Jimbo inside the cage… or me inside the cage.. grabbing the steel.. watching outside hopelessly and knowing its day of execution will come, like the rat.. sad or not…
from the picture, it is like saying:” aih, release me.. release me.. I just wan to have some food to survive… is it wrong?
the rat is so pitiful le..IF for me…I will put it inside a loosened plastic bag, and throw it into the jungle. at least I dun kill it … just watched ratattouille.. . the rat is so cute ….
I agree with Rachel. Transport Rat-a-too-ee (in your car boot) to the Land Far Far Away (a.k.a. hutan) and release it into the wilderness. It will scurry off…
I mean painless for executioner , not death for excecutioner…..
A quick and painless death ( for the excecutioner and excecuted ) is the most humane way….so lethal injection?
bring to the office/class and release it. enjoy the stampedge that follows…
don kill it la..think think back so charm d..y not just keep it and take good care of it?after all it wont harm ppl..
why cant treat it as a hamster?
The most humane way is to kill by breaking its neck (kills instantly therefore, no pain). You can do this by using something to press the back of the rat’s neck and pull its tail. This has to be done really quickly (like within 1 sec or less) or otherwise the rat will struggle and/or try to bite you.
Actually, that’s how they kill lab mice but not sure if it will work for rats.
Use ur car’s exhaust gas…
go to the nearest hutan and release it
Wishbone, wah, so pyrotechnic one.
michelle, your method is rather un-environmentally friendly la, unless you use biodegradable plastic bag of course. I doubt my neighbours downstream would be pleased with a discovery of a body-in-a-bag.
I pity the rat. I heard that you can pour kerosene on it and set fire to it. You’ll see “shooting stars”.
Erm, I can’t stomach the idea of killing the rat when all it did was to mark its droppings and scratch the pots and pans.
u got longkang besar or not?
wat mummy usually do is..
take the big “keap” for charcoal
“keap” the fella dump into the longkang besar..kautim or tie in plastic bag…throw into longkang..make sure plastic tie tight
Rat poison IS warfarin, I think.
Err, feed it warfarin?
Aiyo, LM, never heard of macro zoom mode meh?
again noticed that the photo was taken rather closeup. Jimbo! unless you got super macro/closeup function on camera, you MUST Have been pretty near to that rodent! eeks! think plague! and loads of other unimaginable germs on that rat!
dobbs: rodents stuck on glue best way to get rid is my (patented) rag and wring method.
Thanks dobbs. We tried the glue method once and all we caught were one lizard, a few insects and loads of ants. And ya, my kid’s finger prints as well! Sigh…
Wah reach 31 comments in 3 hours!
Musophobia or Muriphobia – Fear of mice
I think AM’s suggestion probably easiest. We actually did poison a mouse once (bait in sandwich) and found the half dead mouse in a bucket in the bathroom. Not too good an idea btw cos they would stink up the place if they die in a less accessible place like the attic. We just chucked it away.
Another time we use the glue method whereby the
rodent was stuck onto a cardboard piece. Likewise just threw it away. Maybe easier than catching it in a trap and then having to decide what to do with a live rodent!
LM, and no chickens, no dogs or *gasp* kids? :-O
Then how to ‘disinfect’ the pail?
But LM’s best solution is to keep a pet python lah.
No rats and no cats.
since jimbo doesn’t want to adopt jonzz and my suggestions, here is one LAST suggestion. Take it or leave it!
put the cage in a pail of water under a tap and run water until it drowns. No BBQ flesh, No disjointment of bones by wringing, No hot water baths.
eve, can I also give to your landlord ah? No need to return the cage!
Wan tan ???!!!! *peng san-ed*
No way man, wan tans are my favourite!
*solemnly* it’s important to be happy in one’s final moments…so my grandma tells me…
so, IMHO you should stuff the poison in some homemade wan tans and let the little critter have a feast…! make sure halal ok, you just never know in multicultural malaysia…
I caught one too 3 days ago. FIL put kiam hu (salted fish), the fler tak makan , I put roast chic skin, it tak makan oso, so finally hubby suggested bread..And guess what..Yup..got him..and I gave it to my landlord to dispose off..I dunno what he did with it , but the empty cage came back to me oni after 2 days..
I wonder what the ‘fear of rodents’ is called? Dobbs? Any help?
Wah, you so deceptive ya, AM. Reminds me of those ancient chinese royalty people trying to dispose off one another. Poison here, poison there.
Oh no, no way am I going to place anything into the trap! It might escape. I will just scatter the lot on it!
make sure you use a yummy receptacle to deliver the poison ok, so it can be happy for one last meal
I know what u mean AM. That’s why I placed it in the backyard. Cannot bear to see and hear the fella.
you know, it looks mighty kesian chewing and grasping on the bars…you can almost hear it crying in fear
**AM almost in tears already**
Good idea AM.
Will source the rat poison today after work.
just feed it some rat poison and release it to die where it chooses…at least it will be near its loved ones when it… *gulp*…goes
LM, the neighbourhood cats are also another source of irritation because they will leave paw prints all over my car everyday. How to kill cats ya?
Aiyo, we have lots of unthinkable suggestions here. I am more inclined towards warsurfer’s idea. Death by starvation.
Vermin execution: by mom
1. Turn on your gas stove.
2. Using a pair of tongs, hang the vermin over the gas fire.
3. Wait for a couple of seconds and some shrieks.
4. Dispose the vermin (or eat the freshly barbequed meat).
agree with jonzz, the imprisonment and starvation way is sure to invite international attention from the rodents community.
yes, and please sack the neighbourhood’s stray cats for not doing their jobs! or at least repatriate them
I think boiling is more humane.
Warsurfer’s way is equivalent to torture to death by imprisonment, starvation and dehydration.
hmm, I see the look of desperation on the poor thing! its biting on the cage!!
I think i prefer to do it team.warsurfer way.
jonzz: shrieks?? It should be just ONE SHRIEK! if you have more than one, your boiling is flawed!
Vermin execution: by dad
* Death by boiling
The death shrieks will drive away all other would-be intruders.
aiyoh, sayang the poor mouse! just its luck it landed in jimbo’s house. Now be kind to all animals and release it! (towards the direction of the neighbours)
vermin execution: by grandma
1. Take a wad of used rags
2. Catch hold of vermin (mouse)
3. Wring the rag 5 times in one direction.
4. Observe for a *SQUEEAK*
5. Release contents.
sometimes think about the mouse also quite pitiful. what to do survival of the fittest.
Jimbo, you can just leave it outside your house in the cage under the rain/hot sun… it will die eventually…. thats what we usually do…
Feed it warfarin. It’ll die of internal haemorrhage. Something House would do (actually he almost did).
Uhhhmmm… really thick gloves and the more enormous syringe you can find, filled with insulin?