The Game of Cat and Mouse


Irony is a funny thing. Not too long ago, I mentioned the cat that lives in this house and had a certain fondness for my bedroom. Well now I find myself trying to coax the cat into my room, reassuring her that I intend her no harm. And indeed I do want the cat in here, because if cats are good at anything it is finding mice, and that is what I’m hoping Ashes is going to do.

For as you might allude, I have been host to a mouse for the past couple of days. Part of the problem of having over an inch of clearance between the bottom of my door and the floor. I’ve seen it a couple of times, venturing out to investigate the pizza box on my floor and I’ve even put the loaf of bread that he started on my table onto the floor in hopes of luring him out. He did end up in the bread bag when I took a shower today, but I wasn’t fast enough with my container that I am intending to trap him with.

So now the cat is in here, apparently OK with the fact that I am in here as well and she has been patrolling my room back and forth quite thoroughly. I’m fairly certain that she knows the mouse is in here because she wanted in something awful the other day when apparently the mouse found my room. It sort of feels like I’ve hired a private investigator — she has pretty much been everywhere in here — closet, under my bed, behind my dresser (I didn’t even know there was space there), around my fridge. I’m half expecting her to hand me a bill for services rendered. And if she catches the mouse, I’d consider paying it.

And now it seems that the cat is gone. I didn’t hear any sort of commotion so I can only assume that she couldn’t find the mouse. I’m sure she’ll be back once she realizes that she is working on commission. I just confirmed with a couple of my housemates that the mouse did in fact enter my room on Friday night — so I’m going to lock up my food and hopefully the lil’ bastard will leave on his own accord while I’m at work or something.

Written by Colin Bate