[Dailydrool] Mose advice and Horton update

[Pamela McQuade]

The last time we had mice in our house was many years ago, when one
appeared in our kitchen, Jane chased it away because our cat (was it
Duncan?) was useless as a mouser. We had an exterminator come who promised
he'd put the poison where none of the animals could get it. What he didn't
say was that Belvedere would find a dead mouse and try to eat it, putting
his own life at risk. Thankfully, I saw him down something, got him to drop
it briefly,  identified it as a mouse, and managed to make him send it back
up with a judicious dose of peroxide.  A quick grab, and the thing was gone.

As you can easily imagine, I don't want to do a rerun of that experience!

So today Drew saw Charlotte bring a mouse into our office, after she
visited our cellar. She dropped it, and the thing scurried off. Charly
tried to rehunt it, but without success, so we now probably have a mouse in
the house.

Because I don't want toxic rodents in the house, which either the cat or
dog could eat, I am asking if anyone has a really good way to get the mice
out without harming the pets. Right now we have one of those traps you can
catch them in and return them to the wild again. The only problem will be
finding a place to let the critter go, since there are not a lot of
wide-open spaces near here and I'm sure none of our neighbors want this guy
either. Nor do I want to see him again.

When I talked to our vet about Horton, she told me she doesn't think he has
either Addison's or Cushing's, though they are still possibilities. She's
inclined to think it might be pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer of the
adrenal gland. So I have an appointment next week to have Hort's blood
pressure taken, since that could be an indicator of that cancer. I am
hoping it's not that. Please sling the Daily Drool that it's something
easier to deal with and less deadly, and we'd appreciate prayers too. I am
not ready to lose my boy. (But the vet did tell me not to give up yet,
since we don't know what's going on, so I hope this is not what's
happening.)

Today I did get Hort to eat about half a can of dog food, which is a marked
improvement. He seems to have a bit of an appetite, but he is very fussy
about what he'll eat. For the time being, kibble is off the menu. Chicken
and turkey baby food seem to be the favorites.

Thanks so much for all the support and encouragement.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Basset
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