Day 63 - Squeak
Sounds can elicit a variety of emotions. Growing up, night sounds can be scary. Whether it was the furnace, that invisible monster under the bed, or storms, certain sounds become synonymous with fear. Becoming a parent, different sounds incited a new emotion: anxiety. Screaming children, the retching noise preceding vomit, constant whining, and the scariest sound of all when dealing with children: silence. Pet owners can get confused when introduced to the sounds of incessant barking and a somehow even more disgusting version of retching. However, one new sound, albeit barely audible one, can create chaos and frustration for any homeowner.
The squeak of a mouse. For one thing, where there is one mouse, there are a million.
We kind of figured we might be battling mice when we moved to the farm but for the first few months, our encounters with the whiskered enemy was limited to the barn.
However, that changed when we returned from a weekend away to find a half-eaten furry friend in our living room.
We scattered rodent repellent all around the house and placed multiple traps inside the house. Despite regular checking, we never caught anything.
Luckily, our killer kitties did.
In what became an almost nightly occurrence, our evening was interrupted with the subtle squeak of a mouse being “played with” by one of our two younger cats. More than I’d like to admit, we had to come in and end playtime sooner than the cats might like to make sure the mouse didn't get away. Our ferocious felines would get quite jealous when we tried to take their trophy away. In fact, when they saw us coming near their catch, they would end the game immediately and get rid of all the evidence. We appreciated the fact that the threat of losing their catch helped them eat the entire mouse with minimal cleanup. However, we didn't want this cycle to repeat itself over and over again. As owning a house tends to do, we took on an unexpected expenditure, called it an investment, and sought professional assistance to fortify the house from rodent intrusions.
The cats aren't too happy about it, but we’ve been squeakless ever since.
