We noticed some droppings outside our back door about a week ago.
Not the nice kind of droppings like sprinkles or Easter eggs.
Animal droppings. An animal has been defecating outside our back door.
It wouldn’t have been that bad if the tiny creature had opted to dump its load in a corner or even a couple of feet from the door but this is right on the four inch trim around the door.
It’s actually quite gross and so very insulting.
I think there’s a country and western song (or there should be) “Don’t Defecate On My Stoop!”
We are pretty sure it’s a mouse but we are not so narrow minded to think it couldn’t be the mouse’s Transylvanian country cousin, the rabid, vampire bat, as there is a small overhang above the door, ripe for the hanging and plush for the dropping.
Greg set up a trap to catch the mouse which bothers me for a few reasons.
- The mouse lives outside. How can we try to catch and hurt something in its natural environment? I am totally on board if the mouse was in my pantry cupboard or bra insert but it seems unreasonable and unfair to attack it in its own habitat.
- What if the bat sees the small metal contraption smeared with peanut butter and thinks it’s a house warming gift?
I didn’t like it when neighbourhood cats would leave dead mice on our door step because I never understood it. While I appreciated the sincerity of gift giving, it made me feel as though I had to buy it something so I left small bags of catnip and scratching posts and we started this whole thing.
It also made me question why stray cats felt obligated to leave us gifts when to my knowledge, we hadn’t done anything to make them feel welcome or done them any favours.
It felt like a trick. Maybe they were leaving preemptive gifts to get the ball rolling. Maybe it was a gang thing and the cats were marking their territory by leaving mice at random doors, sending home owners a message; you stay away from our mice and we’ll watch your back when the birds start to fly towards your newly cleaned windows.
What to do?
