Mouse in a chair -- seriously. Help please

[kcr]

So, we have been invaded by some mice (we put down two live traps - one in the garage, one under the sink. In two days, we got two mice in the garage trap, none in the kitchen trap) and our cat finally caught one. Unfortunately, he didn't kill it, and it got loose. He chased it into our large loveseat like chair. Unfortunately, the mouse went into the structure of the seat.

So, my question is now what. I don't want to have to throw the seat away if the mouse dies in it. SO here are my questions:

1)If the cat ever stops hanging around, will the mouse leave the chair?

2)I have one more trap. Think it would help to put the trap either on the chair (it went into the chair through a gap between the back and the seat) or beneath the chair?

3)I have two small kids, and am really worried about their health with the mice around. I am in TN -- how worried should I be?

4) Any one have any idea if an exterminator is worth the money? And how much money are they for this anyway?
thanks.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. Boy, it's Mouse Night here tonight!

See if you can get the reusable traps that I recommended on the other thread. You can bait them with peanut butter; the mouse goes in, its back is broken and you can open the trap and dump the carcass out without having to touch it. Maybe you could put the cat in another room away from the couch for a while. Good luck - it's a very frustrating situation, I'm sure.

[Pithlet]

4. My husband posted this.

I was the one who posted the "OMG, my cat has a mouse thread."The south eastern portion of the US is not suffering a freak plague :) This is a continuation of that saga. He's really worried about the health ramifications of this.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

5. Okay

When we had mice in a previous house we didn't know it until I saw the cats batting around a stunned mouse one morning. When I looked in the unfinished portion of the basement, where the mouse was, I saw HUNDREDS of mouse droppings under leftover rolls of carpet. I think we killed about 10 mice total; maybe a few more. DISGUSTING. I didn't want the cats to get sick, so I tried to vacuum and disinfect as much as possible. They must have come in through a very tiny hole in the concrete; we got some of the Quikrete (or whatever it's called) and closed up the holes we found. They say you should put steel wool in the holes first, but my husband ignored me and proceeded without doing that.

Gosh, I hope the situation clears up soon! Those little critters can get into everything; can you take the chair outside overnight, as another poster suggested?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. I think this will be the best approach

Get the cat out of the room or move the chair to where the cat won't get it and set the trap nearby...the mouse crawls into it with the bait...some of those traps can catch up to six mice

[kcr]

7. Do you think

I should put the trap under the chair or on the seat, near the gap where the mouse went in?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. Is the bottom of the chair open or lined?

If he can get out the bottom...I'd leave it under where the kids are less likely to get a hold of it...and the cat

[kcr]

10. Its old, but it is lined n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Then leave it on the seat..but he won't come out if the cat is loose

[kcr]

12. That's what I am afraid of

We cannot really lock the cat up, becasue our three year old sometimes gets up before we do, and if we lock the cat in our room (the only place we can do so), then we might not hear kiddo when he gets up.

I hate owning a home. I absolutely hate it.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. OK..then make a small slit in the bottom of the chair lining so the mouse

can get out and leave it underneath...then the cat can't get to it and you can always sew the slit of the lining up after you catch it

(and I hear ya)

[kcr]

15. THanks for all your help

[SoCalDem]

19. Take the chair outside on the porch

remove the underlining OUTSIDE..so the mousie can escape..

In a few minutes, go out, and inspect the innards of the chair.. The critter will probably be gone.:)

[jdj]

2. If you are worried about the mouse not leaving the chair

until it dies you should put some birdseed or something on it.

I personally would just move the chair out on the porch or in the gargage and go to bed.

[tjdee]

3. No ideas--but OH MY GOD.

All these mouse threads tonight are scaring the shit out of me.
I forgot to take the garbage out a few days ago so I have some garbage bags hanging around behind my house. I feel like setting them on fire so mice don't smell them and come in.

:scared:

I swear I would fall down and die if I saw a mouse in a chair in my house. I would not be very humane at all.

[Taverner]

9. Do you want to kill it

Or let it live?

If you want to kill it, spray the shit out of the chair with chemicals

If you want to let it live, put the chair outside and let the mouse get out on his own. Mice don't like being inside chairs all day...

[MrSlayer]

16. Chemicals? Like what?

Anything you can kill the mouse with chemically will probably poison everyone in the house not to mention ruining the chair. Are you insane?

[hfojvt]

17. I have heard that they do not like mothballs

If such things are still for sale.
I would not worry about the health effects of having a mouse or two around, unless your floors become covered with mouse droppings.
Just think of it as a wild gerbil.
Edit: I would be more worried about the health effects of the poisons that an exterminator was using than I would about mice.

[Blue Diadem]

14. Be aware that mice chew furniture

That's how I found we had one. I heard a chomp, crunch chomp like someone eating popcorn and then found a hole the mouse had chewed between the cushion and the back. They also jump. When we got that one out of the chair, it leaped 1/2 way up hubby's pantleg.

[sleipnir]

18. Is it a Modest Mouse?

n/t

[SoCalDem]

20. WHATEVER YOU DO.... DO ...N O T

set off three "bug-bombs" and wait to see what happens :evilgrin:


Bug Bombs To Blame For Overnight Fire

POSTED: 5:09 a.m. EST January 6, 2005

GASTON, CO., NC -- Overnight we learned that several insecticide canisters are blamed for causing a major apartment fire in Gastonia.

The fire started around 9:00 p.m. last night on Hartford Drive.


Firefighters say a resident set off several bug bombs, then left the apartment.

Neighbors heard several explosions and called the police.

The fire caused about 70-thousand dollars in damage.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/4053805/detail.html

[shesemsmom]

21. I would bet he's moved in. I think I'd try the exterminator

Call one and tell them your situation, Ask for a price tag and go from there. Good Luck!!