OCD Action Online Forums » Topic: Mickey Mouse

OCD Action Online Forums » Topic: Mickey Mouse http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse It's Time to Act. OCD Action provides support and information for people affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Tue, 22 May 2012 16:10:16 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/search.php Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35244 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:50:02 +0000 Anonymous 35244@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Thank you, Wombat, I hadn't thought of the RSPCA. They can't approve of painful deaths for innocent creatures, they may have a suggestion. Yes, we had the ultrasonic devices before the electromagnetic, and then bought an expensive duel one. Ironically, we didn't have any mice at the time, just wanted to ensure none returned. Within a day of switching the machine on the mice arrived! Thank you also for your prayers. I hope you have a good holiday. Look forward to hearing from you when you return. Tricia x P.S. Of course, there's still the problem of it being illegal to kill them, but it doesn't seem to be a law that many abide by. Wombat140 on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35241 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:50:24 +0000 Wombat140 35241@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ I keep forgetting to say, you mentioned that you'd tried the electromagnetic gadgets and they hadn't worked, but have you tried the ultrasonic ones? Not that the anti-cat one we bought ever seemed to do much good, but it's worth trying if you haven't already. Otherwise you could try ringing the RSPCA and asking if they know of any humane ways to get rid of mice, and if not, whether they know who would. Their phone number for general advice is 0300 1234 555, open 9am-5pm weekdays only. Their website is <a class="postlink" href="http://www.rspca.org.uk">http://www.rspca.org.uk</a>, but it doesn't have anything about marauding mice - I've just looked. Hope this helps, Wombat140 Wombat140 on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35239 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:52:19 +0000 Wombat140 35239@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ I forgot to say that I'm going away for a week or so. But I'm sure the others will be here if you need them. Wombat140 Wombat140 on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35238 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:51:13 +0000 Wombat140 35238@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ What can I say? I can't even make out whether the guilt thing is OCD or not. It seems to be entirely rational, but then the way it goes on and on is just like OCD. I can't help you with the poison question either. I think the only ones that would be entirely painless are certain of the narcotics, and those all seem to be controlled substances because they are drugs of abuse as well. Otherwise I don't know anything. What the Bible says about animals has always foxed me as well. It seems to say that they aren't as important as humans, and also that they are. It makes no sense. I just hope it all goes away, or failing that, that the mice all go away! Praying for you. Wombat140 Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35234 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:16:01 +0000 Anonymous 35234@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Please will you pray for me, Parvez. Whatever occurs over the next few days I am going to need all the help I can get. Thank you, and bless you for caring. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35233 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:11:30 +0000 Anonymous 35233@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ P.P.S. Talking about guilt. I still feel incredibly guilty for eating meat up until the age of 13, even though I had little choice in the matter and put up quite a fight for years. I truly don't think there is any hope for me. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35232 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:07:36 +0000 Anonymous 35232@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ P.S. I'm sure Jesus would be disgusted with me, but I feel a sheep is as valuable as a person. I'm like Elgar in that respect. I guess my wiring is wrong. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35230 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:58:19 +0000 Anonymous 35230@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Dear Parvez, Thank you so much, what you said made such sense, as always. However, when I read what you wrote about my family, I thought back to last night when my daughter was angry with me for not putting up a stronger fight when my husband said he was going to use poison. She is also totally opposed to using it. She feels I should try Paracetamol crushed in food. The trouble is, the vet I spoke to said that would possibly be even worse than the anticoagulant. I've spent several hours researching how painful an overdose is in humans. Still no better off. So, I am even caught in a dilemma over distressing my husband or distressing my daughter. As to the guilt of destroying my marriage, my husband would probably be eternally grateful for that. I haven't made his life easy. The last person to receive an electric shock from a chewed cable was me, just hoping it will be next time. Tricia xx Parvez Choudhry on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35227 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:36:56 +0000 Parvez Choudhry 35227@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Dear Tricia I feel for you very much. You are caught in a dilemma between intolerable fear and intolerable guilt. My own perspective about guilt is that sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where every possible option carries some guilt with it. Since we have no choice but to do something that violates our conscience, it is best to choose the option that carries the least guilt. Having made that choice, I don't then feel guilty if I put it into practice because the wrongness of doing it is cancelled out by the greater wrongness of not doing it. Like you, I don't like the thought of animals suffering and if I were in your position I would be reluctant to use anticoagulants. But if no other option is going to get rid of the mice, then you have to weigh up the guilt you will incur if you don't use anticoagulants. I am referring to the guilt of grieving your family by continuing to cause them so much stress & unhappiness, the guilt of destroying your marriage, the guilt of damaging your own physical health by the continued strain of living with the mice, the guilt of risking infecting the members of your household with salmonella and other diseases that mice carry, the guilt of causing someone to have an electric shock by plugging in an appliance with a chewed electric cable, etc. When Jesus met a man with a deformed hand on a Sabbath day, he had no hesitation in healing him even though by doing so he was breaking God's commandment not to work on the Sabbath. Jesus answered his critics: "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep!" The need of a man with a deformed hand was higher in Jesus' priority. With my warm regards .... Parvez Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35225 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:48:08 +0000 Anonymous 35225@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Dear Jon, I really do appreciate your message and concern. I'm not sure what is OCD any more. Is it the fear of contamination from the mice (something you rightly pointed out many non OCDers wouldn't tolerate. My husband no longer can) or is it the guilt about causing them pain? I have friends who don't have OCD who couldn't poison mice with anticoagulant, either. I wouldn't like killing them by any method, but I have reached the point where I would kill them all if I knew it would be painless. I've now spent nearly Â£200 on electronic killers. They work, but few mice will go in them. As to the guilt not lasting. I still feel guilty for poisoning mice twenty years ago, before I realized that they died in such pain. I just don't think I can be responsible for more suffering. Right now the world seems full of such agony and I can't face it. Fear and guilt. Surely life's not meant just to consist of these two emotions? Thanks again. Tricia. jon on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35224 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:01:02 +0000 jon 35224@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Tricia, I really feel for you right now and am at a loss as to what to say to you - that has'nt been said already by others. I know this will sound simplistic because I am not sitting where you are but is it possible for you to try to apply a ruthlessness to overcoming your OCD, and let your husband deal with the mice. Many many people could not put up with the mice situation you have, not to mind OCDers. My guess is that you will get over the guilt of the mice being eradicated, but the OCD will just continue to hound you if you dont deal with it. Take Care, Jon Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35223 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:06:29 +0000 Anonymous 35223@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ I think I am going mad. The mice were chewing in two rooms last night, couldn't believe such small creatures could make so much noise. I feel I am living a nightmare. I am shaking with fear and see mice in the corner of my eye constantly (only 5% of the time is there a mouse, but my nerves are shot). So much for exposure and living with contamination. My husband is now distraught and said it's him or the anticoagulant poison. I can't stop him using it, but despite my fear I don't think I can live with the guilt, knowing the excruciating pain being inflicted on the mice. Even supermarkets sell the stuff, so I realize there are at this moment probably millions of mice and rats dying in agony as I write this, just in Britain. What kind of society allows such evil. Most people would not even care. I can't stand any more. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35201 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:09:33 +0000 Anonymous 35201@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Thanks for that, Wombat. Yes, in fact our house reeks of it! Obviously our mice are determined! Peppermint oil can't be as bad as fox urine, which I doubt would work either. If the smell of a cat is not a deterrent why should a fox be?! I don't know if I said, but it crossed my mind that some kind of contraceptive would at least eliminate them eventually. I believe I have heard that some cities are doing that with pigeons. I have no idea how to find this out, however! Glad your problem is improving. I caught two more yesterday, but while I release them intact I fear they are just laughing at me and back in before I am. Tricia x Wombat140 on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35189 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:58:16 +0000 Wombat140 35189@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Tricia, have you tried peppermint oil? This is supposed to repel mice, we try it sometimes. You put it on screwed up paper or something and wedge it in the hole where they get in. (It's not just blocking the hole that does it - if you use just paper, they eat it!) I have to say this doesn't always help, but sometimes it does. Depends how much they want to get in, I suppose. You can get peppermint oil from a health food shop, or mail order from Zipvit (<a class="postlink" href="http://www.zipvit.co.uk">http://www.zipvit.co.uk</a>). We've managed to stop the one in the loft waking us up. Our loft only has floorboards in one place, the rest is just rafters. So we put an old sheet over the boards to muffle the mice noises. Seems to work. Hope you feel better soon. Wombat140 Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35164 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:41:47 +0000 Anonymous 35164@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Parvez, thank you for the address of the poisons information. I'll look into that. Sprays don't seem to work. The only one I haven't tried is fox urine. I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Reminds me of the old woman who swallowed the fly syndrome, again! Nicola, Thank you also for the trouble you've gone to. Sam found the same information, but although fizzy drinks sound quite innocuous I believe they would cause excruciating pain, probably worse than anticoagulant poison. I feel the plaster of paris and others would also be agonizing. I've treated animals in the past for this kind of gastric problem and they were screaming in agony. I'm not having too much difficulty catching them, the wooden traps work well, usually. Three caught yesterday. The problem is they are still getting in and I can't take much more. I've been bawling all morning and my husband is at the end of his tether. Parvez, a holiday sounds good in may ways, but I would still have to return to the problem eventually. Also, I think I'm too ill now. The last time my daughter and I went on a trip (three days in Amsterdam) she said she couldn't repeat it. The crazy thing is, if I was told I would never return home I don't think the contamination would bother me. As it is, sleeping in another bed and even sitting on a chair all terrify me, because I don't believe I'll ever get clean again. Having said that, this is fast becoming an experiment in contamination within my home. If I don't crack under the strain maybe it will eventually cure me?! Thanks again for all suggestions, I really do appreciate it. Tricia x Nicola on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35152 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:37:29 +0000 Nicola 35152@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Like Parvez said, maybe a spray would be best then. Just looking online there is from <a class="postlink" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Pest-Control:-Field-Mice-and-Natural-Approaches-to-Eliminating-Them&id=347552"><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Pest-Control" rel="nofollow">http://ezinearticles.com/?Pest-Control</a>: ... &id=347552</a> Soda Pop - Amazingly, these little guys love soda pop. Put a saucer of the sweet stuff where they are likely to get at it. The mice will drink the soda and die. Apparently, it is the carbonization that does them in. Mashed Potatoes (instant variety) - Place instant mashed potatoes near where you suspect the mice are hiding. They will eat the potatoes which will swell up in their tiny stomachs before they can be digested, thereby killing the mice. Unfortunately, they will probably die in the walls which may produce a smell. Plaster of Paris with Chocolate - Mix dry chocolate powder with dry plaster of Paris. Place it where the mice live. The mice will eat the chocolate plaster and then go out in search of water. The plaster will kill them but, unlike the situation with the mashed potatoes, there is a good chance that they will die outside of your house while searching for water. and Mouse House If you don't want to snap a mouse's back in half with a mouse trap, you can buy a larger device that lures mice and then locks them in. These devices can be large but they are rather safe. Mice are usually attracted by some cheese or peanut butter and when they walk into the trap to get it, they get stuck. Nicola Parvez Choudhry on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35149 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:32:59 +0000 Parvez Choudhry 35149@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hi Tricia Is it possible that another creature stole the food from the mousetrap, such as a cockroach or a biscuit weevil? Being smaller than a mouse it may have managed to get in and out of the trap without activating it. You can buy some gadgets and chemical sprays to deter animals from visiting certain areas in your house. I'm not sure how effective they are. I googled for some mailorder suppliers and found [url=http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/pest-control-mouse-deterrents-c-24_25.html:3o55qr8k]this[/url:3o55qr8k] and there are others. You may have already gone down this route and not got anywhere, but have you tried phoning one of these suppliers to see if they can suggest anything else? In your search for a quick-acting poison, have you tried phoning the National Poisons Information Service in Birmingham? Their website is <a class="postlink" href="http://www.npis.org">http://www.npis.org</a> where you can find a telephone number and email address. Tricia, it sounds to me you would benefit from having a restful holiday away from it all so that you can recharge your batteries. Could your daughter take you away for a break while your husband stays home to watch out for mice? I don't know whether leaving the house for a week would cause you extra stress for other reasons, but sometimes a retreat from the battle and a complete change of scene for a while can alter the way you view an anxious situation. Best wishes .... Parvez Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35147 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:29:28 +0000 Anonymous 35147@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Thanks, Nicola. Just heard that field mice are a protected species. It appears I could get sent to prison for killing them. Might have more time on my hands to write to everyone here. Can you imagine how I'll cope. Probably better than I am now, no mice in prisons hopefully! Tricia x P.S. Also found out I could be prosecuted for not killing a grey squirrel! Nicola on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35143 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:39:49 +0000 Nicola 35143@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hi Tricia, Sorry you're still having a hard time with this <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /> Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35140 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:39:31 +0000 Anonymous 35140@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ P.S. Does it make sense that if I killed a pet rat or mouse with anticoagulant I would be prosecuted for cruelty? I just don't understand human beings and their logic at all! I know there has to be some poison that's quick and painless, I just don't know how to find out what. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35139 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:33:44 +0000 Anonymous 35139@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Dear Parvez, I've avoided updating the situation. Firstly, because I didn't want to tempt fate, the mice seemed to have disappeared, but also because my anxiety hasn't improved, because everywhere feels so contaminated. Secondly, people will only take so much of my negative emotions, I tire of them myself! Wednesday, a week after any sighting, food disappeared from one of the wooden traps my husband made (but the mouse didn't trigger the door mechanism and it escaped). I reacted almost as badly as I did over two weeks ago, when I began this thread. I feel desperate, to be honest. My daughter is cancelling all social engagements (she works from home). I think she has placed me on suicide watch. This adds to the pain, knowing what I am doing to her. Yesterday, I called a vet I've known many years (he was on holiday when I phoned his surgery last time and I spoke to one of his colleagues). I asked questions about various poisons I've read about online. He discussed each one, but either believed they wouldn't work or would be as painful as the anticoagulants you can buy in shops. Everyone (bar my daughter, who knows me very well) has said to use anticoagulant poison. Even the vet I spoke to, yesterday, said knowing the distress they are causing me he would probably do that. I think I'd find it easier to take it myself than inflict such pain on an innocent creature. Thanks for caring, it means a great deal. Tricia x P.S. Steve, is your mouse still on the loose? Parvez Choudhry on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35137 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:10:36 +0000 Parvez Choudhry 35137@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hi Tricia What is the current situation with the mice? Have you managed to evict them all yet? And how are you feeling yourself? I hope your anxiety is starting to subside now and that you can enjoy a few oases of tranquility in the midst of the turmoil. You have been through a terrible time - I hope it isn't overwhelming you. Warm regards .... Parvez Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35058 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:57:06 +0000 Anonymous 35058@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Thanks, Wombat. I will look into the homeopathy and please let us know how the Neurofeedback goes. I also like mice (and rats) but not when they are running around the house. You would not believe the difference in my reaction when I see one in the garden compared with the kitchen etc! You are right about the noise, how do they manage it?! Tricia x Wombat140 on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35056 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:38:57 +0000 Wombat140 35056@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Tricia, this isn't really to do with mice particularly, but I thought you might find it useful. You seem to need some kind of help, and I know you've been through the usual things already. Somebody on another OCD forum was saying that she'd tried homoeopathy for her OCD and found it helped a lot. Hers was intrusive thoughts, but still. I asked which remedy it was, but she said it varied from person to person and you'd have to consult a homoeopath. But she said it really helped her. I wondered about trying it myself, but apparently the neurofeedback equipment that I've been trying to get really will be available in a few weeks now, so I thought I'd wait till that was available. So I can't speak for the homoeopathy myself, but it's worth bearing in mind. Hope this helps Wombat140 PS I like mice usually. But lately one keeps clattering about in our loft in the middle of the night and waking everyone up! I still don't know how one very small mouse can make so much racket! Hope you get yours sorted out soon. Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35019 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:20:14 +0000 Anonymous 35019@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Thank you, Lioness. I'm sorry that you are having more problems, too. Let's hope we get some relief from this soon. Steve, so sorry the invader has made himself seen, but hopefully it's an isolated one and you can trap him very quickly. There must be something, cyanide is instant isn't it? But where can an ordinary person get hold of anything like that?! Apple pips are poisonous and I believe contain traces of cyanide, but it would probably take a considerable amount to even kill a mouse. Because I'm in such a state, I don't know what I've already said, but my husband heard someone on the radio talking about a big problem with mice this year and he mentioned he has a way of making up a poison which is very quick, but of course he couldn't broadcast his âsecret' on air. If I find out what will work, I'll let you know. I hope you are making the bottom of your bedroom door mouse proof. We have, it's like living in a prison, each door secured before another is opened! Best wishes, Steve and Lioness. Tricia x lioness on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35017 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:15:55 +0000 lioness 35017@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hi Tricia, You are always replying to others posts and its not often I've seen you do a post so you must be feeling distraught about this <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /> I hope you can find a solution soon, I can't think of anything useful to say right now but take care and keep venting here if it helps. stevieb on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-35008 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:27:10 +0000 stevieb 35008@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hello Well, I now know that my mouse has got into the flat! I saw it tonight, as soon as I got in from work, and put the light on. It scurried out from behind the T.V, and shot underthe door, and into the kitchen. Where it is now, I've no idea. I've put three traps down, one in the kitchen, one in the living room, and one in the bedroom. Tomorrow, I'll tape up a few gaps I can see around the place too, and inform my property agents. Like you, Tricia, I wouldn't want the mouse to suffer a horrible, slow death, so if that's the only way the council rodent control department deals with them, I may not contact them yet. I prefer the death to be quick and painless, e.g the trap. I just hope I catch the little s*d, and that I get no more. I don't know of a mouse poison which is quick and painless, I think they will all induce some pain and suffering to the mouse, but there may well be something which will make it a few hours, rather than a few days. I'll let you know if I hear of any solution for you, Tricia. And I only hope that I can get a good nights sleep tonight, I don't want the thing scrabbling around, and p*ssing on my duvet! lol Anonymous on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-34997 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:23:08 +0000 Anonymous 34997@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Dear Jon and Steve, your messages mean a great deal. I just don't know what to do. I have refused the intervention of environmental health etc, because I have asked what they would use and it would be the slow acting anti-coagulant, which causes the mice great distress and pain (and takes a week to kill them). Yesterday, my husband said to use the poison, and to consider the pain the mice are causing me. They are driving me out of my mind, but not intentionally. If I put poison down, or allow the council to, I will knowingly be allowing them to suffer a horrendous fate. However, I'm so desperate I phoned a veterinary surgeon, hoping he would tell me I am mistaken, that such poisons are as painless as some of the manufacturers claim. Alas, I am right, the vet confirmed it's a terribly painful death. I am desperate to find a poison that's painless and very quick. Someone must know what I could use, it's a case of finding out who to ask. Steve, the source is not rubbish, but a forty foot enclosure where I used to keep my geese, the mice have been living there for years but have now got out of control. Again, I don't know how to deal with them. It would be impossible to trap them all. Thank you, Jon and Steve. Tricia x jon on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-34990 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:20:45 +0000 jon 34990@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ Hi Tricia, I hope you are OK. If it is any help I have had a problem also with mice at home and if I know they are in the house my anxiety goes way up. I dont have a problem with killing them with traditional traps though as anytime I have done so they appear to be killed instantly, although the whole process gives me the shivers. I've found that they cant resist chocolate or toffee and that Rolo's are the best. I agree with Steve that you should try and get the Local Council to eradicate them once and for all and maybe they can also advise the neighbours to also seal any holes on the walls on their side. I like animals but my OCD would prevent me from keeping them in the home, whether they be dogs or cats, so my home is may sancturay from our four legged friends. Eradicating mice is a normal thing to do and for me particularly as it effects my OCD I dont have a probelm with it - I'm afraid the mice come second best in that argument. Tricia, I know your anxiety is off the scale right now and these words wont mean much but please know that it will come down again and do take care. Jon stevieb on "Mickey Mouse" http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/topic/mickey-mouse#post-34977 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:28:44 +0000 stevieb 34977@http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/forums/ [quote="Tricia":2mqj873r]Dear Steve, It's good to hear from you, I know you've been very busy lately, but we've missed you here. I'm sorry you have a possible mouse problem, too, let's hope they stay out of your flat itself. Naturally, we have seen to the gaps our side. My daughter and I re-pointed the walls, last year, and my husband has put mesh over the air bricks, even those twenty feet up, just in case the mice do attempt to climb that far (they are capable of it). Semi-detached houses (at least the kind we live in) are one building to rodents, and neighbours have to cooperate. I have spoken to ours and they won't. As you realized, a cat would be more source of contamination for me. Anyway, cats are usually ineffective. Mice do not leave houses just because a cat is in residence. I have a friend who is struggling with a mouse problem, and she has a cat. The cat occasionally injures a mouse, which adds to her distress, as she has to find a way to kill it. The only way a cat might keep a home free of mice is if it were not fed, then it would become a hunter and exist on the mice. The thought of the carnage is enough to prevent me attempting that! Unfortunately, I'm feeling worse, if that's possible. I think I have glandular fever again, and I'm sure that's because of the continual high anxiety. I can't stop myself from trembling with fear. I can't sleep for more than a couple of hours at night. I just want this nightmare of a life to end. You're right, missing my friend hasn't helped. How desperately I want to join him. Having said that, I have prayed for a release from this hell of an existence for over thirty years, long beofre the loss of David. I sincerely hope your mouse goes away and doesn't cause you any more stress. Best wishes, Tricia x</blockquote> Dear Tricia, I'm sorry you're feeling so desperate and down about your mouse and OCD problem. I can't understand why your neighbours won't co-operate with trying to help your mouse infestation. Don't they have a mouse problem too? They must do, so I don't get why they won't seal up holes, etc. It's more likely that the mice are getting in from outside, anyway. Sounds like you need someone working with rodent control who knows what they're doing to come out and do something about this. The mice can only be getting in from outside. I'll have to tell my property agents about my problem, as it is getting on my nerves a bit now. My old flat once had a mouse, and I tried to catch it, but I didn't stand a chance! I saw it first while I was watching T.V, I just saw this flicker of movement from the corner of my eye, and there it was! I put some traps down, and didn't see it for months, then it re-appeared this night. I was up half the night trying to catch the damn thing. I even took a swipe at it with one of my slippers, but it was just too fast! It wasn't dumb, either. I watched it trying to get through a gap in the skirting board, but it couldn't do it. Then later it disappeared, and I taped up the hole in the skirting board. I didn't see the mouse again, but I knew it had been back, as it actually took the bait from the trap without setting off the trap! Amazing. It may sound funny, but it was an absolute nuisance. But I don't know what to suggest about your problem, other than try and find out where they may be getting in from outside, place traps close to holes they're getting through, and nag your council about getting rid of the sodding things once and for all. You pay your council tax, after all, so you should be getting something back. Also, is there any particular source outside of your house which may be attracting them? Is there a pile of rubbish close by, perhaps? In the meantime, try not to be afraid of them. I know they spread germs, but I keep the bathroom/kitchen doors closed at night to contain any mouse, should it ever get past the skirting board and into the flat. Little ba*tards, aren't they? Lol <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_evil.gif" alt="}:-@" title="Evil or Very Mad" /> I hope you can very soon find a positive outcome to this problem, Tricia, and that you feel much better. Best wishes, Steve xx